Congress created TPS in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife, giving people authorization to work in increments of up to 18 months at a time.

The Trump administration has rolled back an 18-month extension of legal immigration protections for over half-a-million Haitians temporarily residing in the United States, creating uncertainty and anxiety as their homeland continues to veer on the brink of a violent collapse led by armed gangs.

Springfield residents are braced for a shift after the Trump administration announced it will end protected status for Haitian immigrants in August.