{"id":404444,"date":"2026-09-19T09:18:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T09:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/404444\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T09:18:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T09:18:14","slug":"haitian-churches-face-falling-attendance-after-tps-ends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/404444\/","title":{"rendered":"Haitian churches face falling attendance after TPS ends"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Congregants<\/p>\n

Congregants at Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami Gardens, which serves a mostly Haitian congregation, attend service amid the stress of termination of Temporary Protected Status, which has forced tens of thousands of Haitians in South Florida into immigration limbo. Many now fear for their safety and have chosen to stay home on Sundays.<\/p>\n

Carl Juste<\/p>\n

cjuste@miamiherald<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Sunday morning at Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami Gardens and the congregation is hanging on to every word as Pastor Keny Felix fiercely preaches during the 11 a.m. service.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s lesson: How to show love in a hostile world.<\/p>\n

The sermon appears to strike a chord with the mostly Haitian congregation \u2014 many in the crowd are nodding in agreement, calling out \u201cAmen.\u201d Some are crying. The pastor is preaching about how to navigate through a \u201cdifficult season\u201d in Haitian-Creole and in English. The congregants know he is referring to the fear of deportation and displacement amid the end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants, a loss of immigration protection that has devastated that community.<\/p>\n

Felix tells his people \u2014 many of whom are facing immigration uncertainty \u2014 to respond to the hate, with love.<\/p>\n

\"Pastor Pastor Keny Felix preaches to his congregation at Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami Gardens. Attendance has dropped about 20% since Temporary Protected Status ended for more than 300,000 Haitians, he said. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not easy,\u201d Felix says from the pulpit. \u201cIt\u2019s hard when you feel that you\u2019ve been oppressed, when you feel that you\u2019ve been treated unjustly, when you feel that people are targeting you, it\u2019s hard to say \u2018Father, forgive them.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

But, that\u2019s exactly what God expects of his people, Felix says. \u201cYou need to love even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end Haiti\u2019s TPS for more than 300,000 Haitians, tens of thousands of Haitians in South Florida have lost protections to legally live and work in the United States. Many are left in immigration limbo, facing an impossible decision: self-deport to an unstable country plagued with gang violence and lacking humanitarian assistance or stay in hiding and face the risk of detainment and deportation. Because of this, many Haitians are concerned for their safety and have decided to stay home on Sundays, according to multiple who spoke with the Miami Herald.<\/p>\n

Churches like Bethel, with predominately Haitian worshipers, are feeling the effects. Attendance is down, demands for help with food, rent and legal services are up, and the growing fear among congregants has even led some church leaders to create plans should immigration authorities show up. Plus, the recent detention of several Haitian pastors<\/a> by immigration authorities is fueling even more anxiety among congregants.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can be consumed. They can be inundated by a lot of these things. Part of our response is to try to maintain a level of normalcy in midst the chaos,\u201d said Felix.<\/p>\n

Churches are supposed to be off-limits for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but that has meant little to a community that often turns to God and worship in times of despair. Felix, like several religious leaders who spoke to the Miami Herald in the South Florida area, noticed fewer congregants attending his North Miami church, which just celebrated 50 years. Felix estimates attendance at his church has dipped about 20%. On a recent Sunday in early September, there were noticeable empty pews in the sanctuary which holds 1,000 around people at capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom our records we can see that our attendance has been affected by the immigration issue,\u201d said Pastor Alain Boucard, associate pastor of Christian education and outreach at Bethel. \u201cYou can see the diminishing attendance because people are not taking chances out there with the way things are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Pastor Pastor Keny Felix, right, offers words of faith and support to departing congregants at Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald <\/p>\n

For the faithful, the decision to forego church does not come lightly. Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church has long been a safe place for the Haitian-American community to worship and find community \u2014 especially during times of crisis, like after the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti and brought tens of thousands of Haitians over to the United States. The disaster, which killed over 300,000 people, according to the Haitian government and left 1.5 million homeless \u2014 nearly the same amount left internally displaced by armed gangs \u2014 led to the Obama administration designating Haiti for TPS. Now, Felix says, those same immigrants are being sent back to an even more unstable situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re throwing them back to the lions den and closing our eyes, and presenting it under the label of law and order. This is not law and order. This is evil,\u201d Felix said.<\/p>\n

Members need help<\/p>\n

Today, many Haitian churches in South Florida are on the front lines of the TPS crisis \u2014 acting as places of refuge, a space where the community can go to feel understood and for some, the sermons provide a much-needed therapeutic release for the anxiety and stress that has plagued the community in recent months.<\/p>\n

At Tabernacle of Glory, a nondenominational Christian megachurch in Miami Gardens, pastors are being inundated with requests from members who need help with food, rent and legal services. As many Haitians lose their work permits, they are struggling to pay rent and in some cases mortgages. The church cannot afford to cover every member\u2019s financial issues, Pastor Jimmy Loiseau said, forcing the church pastors to say no to certain requests.<\/p>\n

\"Congregants Congregants stand in prayer and song during Sunday service at Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami Gardens. Many of the pews are empty because the end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians has left congregants afraid to attend services. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald <\/p>\n

Loiseau said having that conversation is \u201cone of the toughest things\u201d he has had to deal with.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a hard conversation to have. It is heartbreaking,\u201d said Loiseau, who is also the church\u2019s community relations specialist. \u201cMegachurches don\u2019t have infinite funds coming from billionaires. We don\u2019t. We don\u2019t. I wish we did because we would help as best as we can.”<\/p>\n

On top of being stretched for financial assistance, churches are also seeing that the collection plate is dwindling.<\/p>\n

\"A A young boy places his face in his hands during service Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church. Many of the congregants were affected by the termination of Temporary Protected Status, which has forced tens of thousands of Haitians in South Florida into immigration limbo. Many now fear for their safety and have chosen to stay home on Sundays. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are out of work. They can\u2019t work, and those who used to give are not able to give at all,\u201d Loiseau said.<\/p>\n

At Tabernacle, the church has formed a partnership with the Haitian Lawyers Association to help provide legal advice before an arrest, and help should detention happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are people suffering, and we have to do what we can to help them,\u201d said Loiseau. \u201cAt the same time understanding that we\u2019re not trying to or circumvent the law. It\u2019s a delicate balance that we\u2019re trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church congregant weeps during prayer service. Pastor Keny Felix told the Miami Herald that many of his congregants have chosen to stay home from services because of the uncertainty facing Haitians in South Florida. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald <\/p>\n

At Bethel, pastors said they are also \u201cdoing their best\u201d with the resources they have. They are reaching out to their most needy members to help with food and transportation to church, for those who no longer have their driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n

Protecting congregants<\/p>\n

Since the termination of TPS, the Department of Homeland Security has increased its deportation flights to Haiti from once a month to once a week.<\/p>\n

Amid the deportation efforts, churches are facing another dilemma: the possibility of ICE activity at houses of worship. The growing fear in the community and rumors of undercover ICE agents in churches and church parking lots in other areas of the country has lead pastors to make major changes to their programming.<\/p>\n

Some pastors are relying heavily on virtual service to reach members at home. In-person community events, such as picnics, have been canceled.<\/p>\n

Some church leaders have begun implementing a new \u201cprotocol\u201d to prepare for any unexpected activity from immigration enforcement. Loiseau said his church has already established a plan, just as the church has protocol for mass shootings or kidnappings.<\/p>\n

\"A A congregant stands during prayer at the back of Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami Gardens. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald <\/p>\n

\u201cThose protocols help protect the people inside, our workers, our volunteers,\u201d Loiseau said. \u201cWe need to have a protocol if law enforcement comes in. What should we do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Loiseau wouldn\u2019t share details, but insisted that it was not designed to circumvent the law, but to ensure the church members\u2019 rights are not violated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf police comes\u2026 do your job, but you\u2019re not going to abuse your power by coming into a building and scaring people or intimidating. We\u2019re not having that,\u201d said Loiseau.<\/p>\n

Loiseau said he is praying that immigration authorities never enter the sanctuary, as he believes it would cause a great deal of trauma, particularly for younger church members.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen ICE comes, they don\u2019t come plain clothes. They come with tactical gear. Do you know the trauma that those people, those children, those teenagers [would experience]?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Sense of despair\u2019<\/p>\n

The detentions by immigration authorities of several Haitian pastors, most recently a pastor in Springfield, Ohio, who was on the path towards a legal status<\/a>, is also creating more fear in Florida\u2019s Haitian community, Felix said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are individuals who were serving the community as faith leaders as they also worked to meet the needs of their own family,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are not criminals but hardworking individuals seeking to fulfill what we all aim for.\u201d<\/p>\n

As people make the decision to forego church service for safety reasons, pastors say they are concerned about the impact the isolation will take on their parishioners\u2019 mental health.<\/p>\n

\"Congregants Worshipers place their hands on one another in prayer during a service at Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami Gardens. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald <\/p>\n

\u201cThat sense of despair, that sense of discouragement, and being in a holding pattern … many of these folks were professionals and were business owners, as well as those who worked in the hospitality and service industries, and so to have your whole life put on hold, that\u2019s quite a challenge,\u201d Felix said.<\/p>\n

Felix points to a recent, fatal, example: Last month, a 20-year-old Pierre Damas Bel, a Haitian student in Springfield, Ohio, died by suicide after stepping in front of a semi truck on the highway. The Wright State University student, who was studying neuroscience, struggled with the shame and bullying<\/a> that came with wearing an ankle monitor, according to his family. Haitians in Springfield were among the first to receive ICE check-in letters after TPS ended and many were fitted with ankle monitors, the Miami Herald reported.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe stigma, the shame, the trauma that comes with having to wear an ankle monitor … it\u2019s very it\u2019s very demonizing,\u201d Felix said. \u201cFor Haitians particularly it adds to this historical trauma, you know, of being enslaved and being in shackles, you know, that\u2019s what those ankle monitors represent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church congregants raise their hands in prayer while the congregation cope with the burden left by the end of Temporary Protected Status, which has left tens of thousands of Haitians in South Florida in immigration limbo. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald <\/p>\n

Miami Herald staff reporter Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

This story was produced with financial support<\/a> from Trish and Dan Bell and donors in South Florida\u2019s Jewish and Muslim communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza and the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Lauren Costantino<\/a><\/p>\n

Miami Herald<\/p>\n

Lauren Costantino is a religion reporter for the Miami Herald funded with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all work. Since joining the Herald in 2021, Lauren has worked as an audience engagement producer, reaching new audiences through social media, podcasts and community-focused projects. She lives in Miami Beach with her cocker spaniel, Oliver.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Congregants at Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami Gardens, which serves a mostly Haitian congregation, attend service amid…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":404445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-404444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=404444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/404445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=404444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=404444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}