Business owners in South Florida’s Haitian community say they’re facing a growing economic crisis as customers disappear and workers become increasingly difficult to find. Many blame the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for Haitians, saying fear of immigration enforcement is keeping people home.
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Along Northwest Seventh Avenue in North Miami, businesses that are typically busy say traffic has slowed dramatically.
One Haitian barber, who has lived in the United States for 34 years, said his shop has gone from serving 10 to 12 customers a day to almost none.
“It’s no customer come in since two weeks,” said the 61-year-old man, who, like all other business owners, agreed to speak with NBC6 but asked not to show their faces, saying they fear drawing attention to themselves or their customers.
He says business has dropped to “one or zero” customers a day, leaving him uncertain about how long he can keep cutting hair.
“Nobody knows how they’re going to pay their rent because it’s no customers. So without customers, we can not do nothing,” he added.
The same concerns were echoed by other business owners.
Several owners said customers are staying home because they’re afraid of immigration raids and possible deportation.
One grocery store owner said that by 11 a.m. he had only served one customer.
He says his store would normally see more than 100 customers by the end of the day. If business doesn’t improve, he says he may have no choice but to close.
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“If the situation continues like this, I have no choice because I cannot afford my bills, I cannot support my kids, I can not pay my mortgage, so I’m thinking of shutting down the place,” the grocery store owner said.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien says the uncertainty surrounding TPS is having consequences far beyond the families directly affected.
“This is the first time I see such a high level of pain,” she said.
Bastien says the impact extends throughout South Florida’s economy because many TPS recipients have become essential workers in industries ranging from hospitality to healthcare.
“Employers are concerned. I mean these are employees who have been good to their companies, whether it’s a hotel or a Jackson Memorial Hospital,” Bastien said.
Bastien and Florida State Rep. Marie Woodson, both Democrats and of Haitian descent, say losing even a small number of workers can have ripple effects throughout the local economy.
“The businesses are saying they can not keep up with this. They don’t know what to do. They’re losing money right now,” Woodson said.
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