Haitians in the U.S. Live in Fear Amid Court Battle Over Legal Status
This lesson examines how a court battle over legal status is affecting Haitians living in the United States and why the outcome matters.
Note: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
A federal court has blocked the Trump administration’s plan to end temporary protected status for Haitians in the U.S. — a move that would have left roughly 350,000 people vulnerable to deportation. As the administration plans to appeal, the uncertainty has one Ohio city bracing as it fears becoming the next focus of immigrant enforcement. Stephanie Sy reports.
View the transcript of the story.
Warm-Up Questions
- What is Temporary Protected Status?
- How many people would be left vulnerable to deportation with the end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians?
- Why does the Trump administration say they ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants?
- Where (what town) has a large community of Haitian immigrants been targeted by the Trump administration?
- Who originally encouraged Haitian immigrants to come to Springfield?
Essential Questions
- In this segment, former County Clerk Melanie Wilt says, "I believe that this country needs immigration reform, but I think we need to do it in a way that is respectful of human dignity. I think we need to do it in a way that is predictable." What do you think she means by this? How could the system be more respectful of human dignity and also be more predictable?
- Media literacy: What different members of the Springfield community interview did the News Hour seek to produce a balanced story? Who else do you think they should have interviewed?
What Students Can Do
Examine the graphic below, then discuss as a class:
- Why do you think this graphic was included in the story?
- What context does it provide readers?
- What organization produced the information, and what can you learn about the source of information?
Students might also want to learn more about the judge's decision in blocking the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians here: "Judge blocks Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians"
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Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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