Florida nursing-home operators are warning that the possible loss of work authorization for Haitian immigrants with Temporary Protected Status could deepen an already difficult caregiver shortage and disrupt care for older residents.
The Florida Health Care Association has asked the Department of Homeland Security to allow Haitian TPS holders employed in long-term care to continue working while they pursue other lawful immigration pathways. The association also wants federal and state agencies to evaluate the effect on nursing homes before work authorization ends.
Haitian TPS documents were temporarily extended through July 24 while lower courts address continuing litigation. That date is the current deadline as of July 20, but the legal situation is fluid and could change again.
TPS allows people already in the United States to live and work here temporarily when their home country is considered unsafe because of war, disaster or other extraordinary conditions. It is not permanent residency, and losing the designation can also end a person’s employment authorization unless another legal status applies.
Estimate does not equal a confirmed nursing-home count
The Florida association said about half of the roughly 350,000 Haitian TPS holders nationwide live in Florida. Using national workforce estimates that about one in five works in a healthcare occupation, it calculated that as many as 35,000 Florida healthcare workers could be affected.
That figure is an estimate across healthcare occupations, not a verified count of Haitian TPS holders employed specifically in nursing homes. Workers may be employed in hospitals, home health, assisted living, rehabilitation and other settings.
The association represents about 90% of Florida’s nearly 700 nursing homes. The state has one of the country’s largest populations of adults over 65, and long-term care providers say they already struggle to recruit certified nursing assistants, personal care aides and other direct-care staff.
Nationally, more than one-quarter of nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care aides and related direct-care workers are foreign-born, according to workforce research cited by the Associated Press. Removing a large number of legally authorized workers at once could intensify competition among nursing homes, hospitals and home-care agencies.
Provider groups have warned that severe shortages could lead facilities to limit admissions, close units or rely more heavily on remaining workers. Those are projections, not confirmed statewide closures. The actual effect will depend on how many employees rely solely on Haitian TPS, whether courts or federal officials extend authorization and how quickly employers can recruit replacements.
The issue extends beyond Florida. Texas and other states also depend on immigrant workers across healthcare and long-term care, making federal immigration decisions relevant to facilities and families nationwide.
Sources: Mother Jones, Skilled Nursing News, Home Care Association of Florida and Associated Press workforce reporting.
