Trump Blames Biden and TPS Policy After Haitian Immigrant Charged in Florida Hammer Killing
Fox News reports that President Donald Trump condemned graphic video of a hammer attack that killed a mother of two outside a Fort Myers gas station last week and blamed the Biden administration for previously releasing the Haitian suspect into the U.S. The accused, 40‑year‑old Rolbert Joachim, is charged with second‑degree murder and criminal damage to property after allegedly bludgeoning a store clerk who confronted him for smashing her car window. DHS told Fox that Joachim first entered the U.S. in August 2022 and was released under Biden‑era policies, later receiving Temporary Protected Status pursuant to a federal removal order, then remaining in the country after that status expired in 2024. In a Truth Social post, Trump called TPS a 'massively abused and fraudulent program,' accused 'radical liberal district court judges' of blocking his earlier efforts to roll it back, and characterized Biden and Democrats as turning the U.S. into a 'dumping ground' for 'Tens of MILLIONS of Criminals, Lunatics, and the Mentally Insane.' The case is already circulating widely on social media as an example in the broader fight over illegal immigration, TPS, and judicial constraints on executive immigration enforcement, with the administration’s critics highlighting the expired status and supporters warning against using a single horrific crime to generalize about migrants.
📌 Key Facts
- Suspect identified as Rolbert Joachim, 40, a Haitian national charged with second-degree murder and criminal damage to property in Fort Myers, Florida.
- DHS says Joachim entered the U.S. in August 2022, was released under Biden-era policies, later received Temporary Protected Status despite a final removal order, and remained after TPS expired in 2024.
- President Trump used the case to denounce Biden, Democrats, and 'radical liberal district court judges,' label TPS 'massively abused and fraudulent,' and argue that judges should stop 'impeding' his immigration policies.
📊 Relevant Data
As of 2026, there are approximately 350,000 Haitian immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States, with about 158,000 residing in Florida, representing nearly half of the national total.
By the numbers | Haitian TPS holders pump $6 billion into ... — The Haitian Times
Haiti's TPS designation is due to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes, and extraordinary conditions including political instability and gang violence, which prevent safe return for nationals.
Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: Haiti — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Florida's Haitian immigrant population was approximately 369,000 in 2022, accounting for 51% of all Haitian immigrants in the US and about 1.7% of Florida's total population of around 21.5 million at that time, with significant growth from international migration contributing to the state's population increase between 2015 and 2026.
Fact Sheet on Haitian Immigrants in the United States — Center for Immigration Studies
Haitian TPS holders in Florida contribute an estimated $1.5 billion annually to the state's economy, filling essential jobs in healthcare and other sectors, with their potential removal projected to create labor shortages and increase costs like overtime wages in industries such as elder care.
Loss of Haitian TPS will hit Miami's economy hard — Miami Herald
The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program was established by the Immigration Act of 1990, with Haiti first designated in 2010 following a major earthquake, and extensions driven by subsequent disasters and instability; policies like Biden's 2021 redesignation have facilitated continued Haitian immigration amid home country crises.
1990: Temporary Protection Status (TPS) - A Latinx ... — Library of Congress
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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