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Kassandra Barthelemy is a nurse practitioner originally from Haiti and founder of Careland Clinic and Careland Home Health.
\nPhoto by Gabriela Martinez \/ Spotlight PA<\/p>\n
READING \u2014 More than 300,000 Haitians nationwide are expected to lose federal immigration protections on Feb. 3 that allow them to work in the U.S. and shield them from deportation.<\/p>\n
In Berks County, the loss of Temporary Protected Status for people from Haiti is likely to ripple across the local economy, particularly in health care and other economic sectors, while also deepening fear and uncertainty within a close-knit community that has spent decades putting down roots in the region.<\/p>\n
The Department of Homeland Security grants TPS to people whose home countries are unsafe to return to due to ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, or an epidemic. Haitians were first granted TPS after a catastrophic earthquake struck the country in 2010. After attempts to cancel the program by the first Trump administration, the Biden administration redesignated TPS in 2021, and in 2023, it also updated an existing family reunification program that allowed more Haitians to come to the U.S. on humanitarian parole.<\/p>\n
The federal appeals court in California ruled on Wednesday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted illegally by ordering the cancellation of TPS for Venezuelans and Haitians. That ruling will not have an immediate effect, according to Reuters, because of previous U.S. Supreme Court orders that allowed the Trump administration\u2019s mandate to take effect.<\/p>\n
Another federal judge in Washington, D.C., is also expected to rule by Feb. 2 on whether DHS provided enough evidence to prove that TPS for Haitians is no longer needed, and that conditions in Haiti have improved enough for citizens to be able to safely return to the country.<\/p>\n
Berks County is home to 659 people born in Haiti, according to the 2023 American Community Survey, which is the most recent census data available and might not capture people who arrived after TPS eligibility expanded under the Biden administration. It\u2019s also unclear how many Haitians in the county currently have TPS.<\/p>\n
Alex Civil, founder of Bring the Change and an advocate for the local Haitian population, moved to Berks in 2004 and has seen the community grow over time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of Haitian business owners, whether it\u2019s restaurants, catering companies, music,\u201d Civil said. \u201cWe have doctors in the community. We have people \u2026 who are here and trying to make a change.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Kassandra Barthelemy, a nurse practitioner originally from Haiti and founder of Careland Clinic and Careland Home Health, the looming end of TPS has already had consequences.<\/p>\n
Patients have left after losing health insurance that helped cover their medical expenses. The uncertainty surrounding TPS has also created staffing challenges for Barthelemy\u2019s clinic. She said she was forced to let go of about 15 caregivers, many of whom were Haitian, after they lost their work permits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t find caregivers,\u201d Barthelemy said. \u201cThat\u2019s a huge impact on the business, and that affects the people at home who need the care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barthelemy started her practice two years ago to make health care more accessible and affordable, particularly for non-<\/p>\n
English-speaking communities. When she moved to Berks County about seven years ago, she said it took her nearly six months to find a primary care provider.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told my patients, it\u2019s the care that we are giving that\u2019s more important to us, so don\u2019t let your financial situation don\u2019t let you see a provider,\u201d Barthelemy said. \u201cOur goal is to have a healthy community educated about their health: when to seek a provider, what can they do at home to prevent hospitalizations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Careland Clinic offers a variety of primary care services, including chronic disease management, immunizations, treatment for infections and other minor illnesses, and weight-loss programs. The clinic also operates a service that provides in-home personal care for older adults who need help with daily tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and taking medications.<\/p>\n
Merline Charles, a Creole-speaking staff attorney at Aldea \u2013 The People\u2019s Justice Center who specializes in helping the Haitian community, said her legal team received a lot of calls toward the end of 2025 from people asking about applying for asylum. Many of the clients she works with arrived recently, around 2021 and 2022.<\/p>\n
Charles helps clients pursue avenues to stay in the country legally. Some who can document a credible fear of being persecuted if they return to Haiti have applied for asylum.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsylum is so difficult to be able to prove, so it\u2019s like going out of the rain and jumping into the ocean,\u201d Charles said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a very difficult situation for them right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other clients, who have parents, children, spouses, or siblings who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, can apply for a family-based petition. If approved, these petitions could allow a TPS recipient to apply for a green card.<\/p>\n
At monthly legal aid clinics in Reading, Charles hands out informational packets to parents to help them prepare, plan, and designate a caretaker in case they get arrested by immigration authorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are coming to you, they\u2019re looking for hope, they\u2019re looking for help. I don\u2019t want to be the one to say there\u2019s absolutely no way you\u2019re going to get this,\u201d Charles said.<\/p>\n
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