Haitians on TPS fear being swept up in immigration raids

Work permits for TPS recipients to expire July 22

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – Since arriving here in 2000, Haitian native Jean Sorel has established a thriving business selling real estate, insurance and offering many other services. 

But he, like many of his clients, is a recipient of temporary protected status, or TPS, and time is running out. 

He said planned immigration raids are keeping customers away.

"People are scared," Sorel said. "You know, they're scared about what's going on. They're afraid to go out. They're afraid to go to work, and I think the government must do something about that."

For those who are on TPS, an important deadline is next week, as their work permit cards expire July 22. 

Even though TPS has been extended since January, no one has proof of that, so from the perspective of those affected, there's nothing to prevent them from being swept up in immigration raids.

In many cases, people on TPS are scared to show up to work -- a trickle-down effect to their homelands.

"They're just here working two and three jobs just to make ends meet to send money back to support them because they want to break that cycle of poverty back home," Kayla Revelus, of First Class Enterprise, said. 

Sorel said he and his brokers at First Class Enterprise have sold thousands of homes in the community -- providing financial stability that could be in danger if people can no longer pay for them.

"The government -- they have to do something, and they have to do it now," he said.