Marathon man with TPS deported to Haiti despite court order, returns to U.S.
May 7, 2026·Location: Marathon, FL
Country of origin: Haiti

Brulan, a Haitian man who has lived in Marathon for 22 years and held valid Temporary Protected Status, was detained during a routine traffic stop on April 12, 2026, and spent nearly a month in ICE custody, including at the state-run "Alligator Alcatraz" facility in the Everglades, before being deported to Haiti on May 7 despite a federal judge's order keeping TPS protections in place. Working three jobs as a bus driver, hotel worker, and restaurant employee, Brulan sent money home every two weeks to support as many as 50 family members in Haiti. In Haiti, he encountered armed gangs controlling highways and the capital, feared for his life, and remained confined to his brother's house. His lawyer filed a wrongful detention lawsuit, and Brulan was allowed to return to South Florida two weeks after deportation; public records show only traffic citations in his background and an outstanding 2004 deportation order before he later obtained TPS, and his restaurant employer described him as a "very good soul." His case follows a similar deportation of a Tampa man with Venezuelan TPS, as the Supreme Court weighs the future of Haiti's protections, which a federal judge has kept in place through at least July 1.
Sources
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