On Sunday July 20, 2025, during the last evening of the big four -day conference of the Tabernacle of Glory, Bishop Gregory Toussaint awarded a plaque of honor to the Haitian Evangelical Clergy Association (Heca), officially recognizing the decisive role played by this organization in the defense of Haitian immigrants’ rights. This recognition occurs a few weeks after a major legal victory which preserved the temporary protection status (TPS) for more than 500,000 Haitians residing in the United States.
The context: a new attack on the Haitian TPS
The Trump administration offensive
In February 2025, the Trump administration launched a new offensive against the humanitarian protections of Haitian immigrants. On February 24, internal security secretary Kristi Noem announced a “partial revocation” of the haiti/”>haiti/”>haiti/”>Haiti TPS designation, reducing the protection period from 18 months to 12 months and advancing the expiration date from February 3, 2026 to August 3, 2025.
Discriminatory motivations
According to the complaint filed by Heca, this decision is part of a racial discrimination pattern of the Trump administration. The document cites the controversial declarations of President Trump during his campaign, including his unfounded affirmations that the Haitians of Springfield, Ohio, “flew and ate domestic animals of American citizens”. The complaint also mentions its comments according to which non-Black immigrants “poison the blood” of the United States and its preference expressed for immigrants from “pleasant” countries such as Switzerland and Norway.
Key actors: Heca and its partners
The association of the Haitian evangelical clergy (Heca)
Heca is described in the complaint as “an association of churches located in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, and elsewhere in the East district of New York”. The organization’s mission is to “promote the Christian Gospel and prepare the parishioners to be good terrestrial citizens”. Most of Heca’s parishioners are Haitians, and many are TPS holders.
The leader: Rev. Dr. Samuel Nicolas
The Rev. Dr. Samuel Nicolas, principal pastor of the Evangelical Crusade Christian Church and president of Heca, imposed himself as the figurehead of this legal battle. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 9, Pastor Nicolas combines 28 years of experience in public service with his religious ministry.
Coalition partners
The complaint was filed jointly by:
- Heca (Haitian Evangelical Clergy Association)
- Seiu Local 32BJ (Employees International Union service)
- Nine Haitian individuals TPS holders, representing thousands of others in similar situations
Legal strategy: a multifacette challenge
The main arguments
The 57-page complaint, filed on March 14, 2025 before the United States District Court for the District is in New York, articulates several fundamental legal arguments:
1. Violation of the administrative procedure:
- Secretary Noem did not have the legal authority to “partially revoke” a TPS designation
- The administration failed to follow the statutory procedures mandated by the Congress
- No periodic revision of the conditions in Haiti was made as required by law
2. Violation of constitutional rights:
- The decision was motivated by President Trump’s Racial Animus to non-Black immigrants
- Violation of regular procedural clauses and equal protection of the fifth amendment
3. Imminent and irreparable damage:
- TPS holders would immediately lose their work permit
- Risk of deportation to a country that the US Department of State itself considers dangerous
Catastrophic conditions in Haiti
The complaint carefully details the disastrous situation in Haiti, citing official data:
- Gangs control 85% Port-au-Prince
- More than 5,600 people were killed and 1,400 kidnapped in 2024 only
- More than a million people are homeless
- The health system collapsed with only 37% of functional health establishments
The judicial decision: a historic victory
Judge Brian Cogan and his verdict
THE July 1, 2025the district judge Brian Mr. Cogan rendered a 23 -page decision blocking the Trump administration attempt to end the Haitian TPS prematurely. In his judgment, judge Cogan declared without ambiguity:
“Secretary Noem does not have the statutory or inherent authority to partially revoke the TPS designation of a country”
The key points of the decision
1. Limited authority by the secretary:
The judge established that the secretary cannot reconsider the Haiti TPS designation in a manner which takes effect before February 3, 2026, the expiration date of the previous extension.
2. Legitimate interest interests:
“When the government gives a profit over a fixed period, a beneficiary can reasonably expect to receive this profit at least until the end of this fixed period”
3. irreparable damage:
The judge recognized that the complainants had “enrolled their children in schools, taken jobs, and started medical treatments in the United States, relying on the fact that the Haiti TPS designation would last until February 3, 2026”.
The immediate impact
This decision had immediate repercussions:
- 500,000+ Haitians protected from deportation until February 2026
- Preservation of labor authorizations For hundreds of thousands of families
- Found stability For Haitian communities across the United States
Political and community repercussions
The recognition of Bishop Grégory Toussaint
The presentation of the honor plate in Heca by Bishop Gregory Toussaint during the conference of the Tabernacle of Glory marks an official recognition of the crucial role played by the Haitian evangelical pastors in this victory. This ceremony highlights the importance of collective action and civic commitment within the Haitian religious community.
Community unity
The Rev. Dr. Samuel Nicolas underlined the impact of this action on the community: “The sudden termination of Haiti’s TPS designation has created enormous fear and stress among hundreds of thousands of TPS and workers, as well as their families, many of whom are the parishioners of our congregations”.
Union support
Manny Pastreich, president of the Local Seiu 32BJ, praised the decision: “This judicial victory shows not only that we can retaliate, but that we can win. We are proud to have represented our Haitian members and the Haitian community in the broad sense ”.
Legal inheritance and the future
An important precedent
This victory is a continuation of the legal struggle led by Heca and its partners. In 2019, the same court had already blocked a similar attempt at the first Trump administration to end the Haitian TPS, establishing a solid legal precedent.
The challenges to come
Although this decision represents a major victory, the challenges persist:
- Possible calls of the Trump administration
- Need for an immigration reform long -term
- Continuation of the crisis in Haiti which justifies the maintenance of the TPS
The action carried out by Heca under the direction of Rev. Dr. Samuel Nicolas perfectly illustrates how religious organizations can play a crucial role in the defense of civil rights and social justice. This legal victory shows that organized civic commitment and determination can even triumph over the most hostile policies.
The recognition granted by Bishop Grégory Toussaint at the Tabernacle of Glory conference only underlines the importance of this collective action which preserved the security and stability of hundreds of thousands of Haitian families across the United States. This victory will remain in history as an example of courage, perseverance and faith in action in the service of justice.
References
1 National Immigration Law Center. “Box: Haitian Evangelical Clergy Association v. Trump. »Clearinghouse.net. https://clearinghouse.net/case/46235/
2 Short records. “Haitian Evangelical Clergy Association et al v. Trump et al, No. 1: 2025CV01464 – Document 63 (EDNY 2025). »Justia Law. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/New-york/nyedce/1:2025cv01464/528747/63/
3 Just Futures Law. “Heca, seiu – 32bj, et al v. Trump, DHS, Noem (Haiti TPS). »JustFutureslaw.org. https://www.justfutureslaw.org/legal-filings/tpshaiti
4 Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. “Heca-v.-trump-complaint.pdf. »Ijdh.org. https://www.ijdh.org/wp-content/uploads/heca-v.-trump-complaint.pdf
5 Forbes. “Haitians have strong case against trump on immigration protection. »Forbes.com, May 7, 2025. Https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/05/07/haitians-have-strong-case-against-trump-on-immigration-protection/
6 Department of Homeland Security. “Dhs Terminates Haiti TPS, encourage Haitians to obtain Lawful Status. »News Release, June 27, 2025. Https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/06/27/dhs-terminates-haiti-cps-ccourage-haitians-abtain-lawful-status
7 Evangelical Crusade Christian Church. “Senior Pastor. »Church Website. https://www.evangelicalcrusade.org/senior-pastor/
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