Some Haitian immigrants in New York City say they're living in fear after the Trump administration announced it will end an extension of Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for roughly half a million Haitians in August.

TPS grants protection and work permits to those from countries experiencing war and environmental disaster.

The Department of Homeland Security claimed the system has been abused and exploited, and says the decision fits into the president's larger immigration agenda.

It comes as Haiti grapples with gang violence and political corruption, deepening the island nation's poverty and economic crisis.  

Immigrants in NYC's Little Haiti "hurting" over TPS decision

New York City has the second largest Haitian immigration population in the country with a reported 163,000 living here, many in Brooklyn's Little Haiti.  

The streets of that neighborhood, once filled with vendors, are now desolate, and businesses usually packed with people are now empty.

"Our workers, we lost most of them, especially the ones that work the bakery. Of course, it's taking a toll on everything else. It's just not the workers, but the people that come to also buy," said Jensen Desrosiers, owner of the Bon Bonbon Cafe and Bakery. "Usually here would be filled up with people taking about Haiti, politics and everything else."

Many say they're scared they'll be swept up in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid.

"You flee your country to come here for a better life, to protect yourself, then you get a job opportunity. You work for a local business, so you're investing into the economy here, and that is snatched," New York City Councilmember Farah Louis said.

Louis is Haitian-American and represents many immigrants in Brooklyn. She says she's been getting non-stop requests for legal help.

Joseph Yves Lafargue is a TPS recipient living in fear for his friends, his family and himself.

"I'm hurting for them, their pain is my pain, too," he said in Creole.

Louis says her team is working with the mayor's office for additional legal resources to help Haitian families and businesses in Brooklyn.