An Amazon employee in Indiana fears she will be deported to a war-torn country after her humanitarian parole was revoked by the Trump administration.
Now, her husband believes that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will come for her.
Daphnee S. Poteau, 33, originally from Haiti, had been working at an Amazon customer returns center in Speedway since entering the United States on July 4, 2023, under the Biden-era CHVN humanitarian parole program. On June 14, she was sent home mid-way through her shift after she lost her right to work.
The CHNV parole program was launched in early 2023 by the Biden administration to provide a lawful pathway for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. temporarily under humanitarian parole. Participants with U.S.-based sponsors could live and work in the country for up to two years.
Though Poteau has not been arrested or detained by immigration authorities, Poteau's husband, Kristopher D. Vincent, 45, an Amazon associate and U.S. citizen, says the family is feeling "frustrated and scared."
"I am afraid they will come looking for her eventually. We've seen it in the news a lot lately. People in black masks snatching—or attempting to snatch—migrants up, even at immigration hearings," Vincent told Newsweek. "When judges, and even U.S. representatives, are facing arrests and indictments, how are the little people like us supposed to feel? Her only 'crime' seems to be coming from the 'wrong' country."
He added: "Unfortunately, that is less than a month from now. My location probably placed her on an unpaid suspension early because they are looking for ways to downsize the workforce."
Richard Rocha, a spokesperson for Amazon, told Newsweek: "We've reached out to and are supporting employees impacted by the government's recent changes in immigration policy."
According to Amazon, it reached out to Poteau to clarify information regarding her employment.
The couple met through work and married earlier this year on April 2. Vincent, a lifelong Indiana resident, had only recently moved in with Daphnee and her twin brother, who also works for Amazon and remains employed—for now—at a different Indianapolis-area facility.
"I'm afraid to go back to my country because the gang members paralyzed our country. You can go to work and never come back. You can be kidnapped or raped," Poteau told Newsweek.
Haiti is currently grappling with extreme political instability and a surge in gang violence, leaving much of the country in crisis. Armed gangs now control about 80 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, engaging in kidnappings, extortion, and deadly clashes with security forces.
With the clock ticking on her immigration status and rent nearing $1,200 a month, Vincent launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal costs and living expenses. He estimates the total cost to secure Daphnee's legal stay—including filing for an "alien relative" spousal visa and, eventually, a green card—could reach $4,000 to $5,000. The campaign's goal is $20,000—a figure he says would cover a full year of rent and the immigration process.
The Trump administration's move to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants is part of an effort to roll back Biden-era immigration policies.
On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end all categorical parole programs, including CHNV. This policy reversal cited concerns over the "integrity" of the immigration system.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem formalized the program's termination in a March 25 Federal Register notice, setting April 24, as the expiration date for all active CHNV parole grants and related work authorizations. Over 530,000 parolees were notified they must leave the U.S. or risk detention and deportation.
Immigrant advocacy groups quickly challenged the mass termination in court, arguing that revoking parole and work authorization on such a large scale violated due process. A federal judge temporarily blocked the DHS action, requiring case-by-case reviews instead of blanket terminations.
However, on May 30, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court's injunction in a 7–2 decision, allowing the Trump administration to proceed with ending the CHNV program and revoking parole and work authorization for thousands of affected individuals. This decision accelerated efforts to dismantle the humanitarian parole pathway established under the previous administration.
Update 6/23/25, 12:52 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
