As Haitian temporary protected status ends, Miami businessowner who voted for Trump has ‘regret’
Wilkinson “Ken” Sejour, who owns Miami Chef Creole, says customers and others in the community are scared, and he might have to shut down two of his restaurants.
The effects of the Trump Administration’s ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants are already starting to affect Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood.
At eateries such as Chef Creole, a well-established restaurant that famously serves comfort food inspired by traditional Haitian and Bahamian dishes, the end of TPS has led to confusion, with rumors spreading about potential raids and arrests. Wilkinson “Ken” Sejour, who told CBS Evening News that he voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, says the end of TPS for more than 350,000 Haitians might effectively end his career in the hospitality space.
“People are scared,” Sejour said.
Sejour explained that he lost his entire management team at seven different restaurants and will likely have to close two stores.
“The end of TPS means for me that my future in the hospitality business is almost gonna be non-existent,” he added. When asked why he voted for Trump, Sejour admitted that Trump “sold to me that he was a businessman and that he would make business decisions.”
According to the State Department, Haiti is among 23 countries on the Do Not Travel list. It is the only Caribbean country to have this distinction at the present time.
Haiti is not the only country in recent days to see its TPS status revoked. On Friday, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled in favor of the Trump Administration to end TPS status for hundreds of South Sudanese nationals.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled with a 6-3 conservative majority that allowed the Trump administration to strip similar protections from Haitian and Syrian nationals who were in the United States. Other countries that have received the designation that they no longer meet the requirements for TPS status include Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Nepal, Honduras and Burma. All of those designations came under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.