Farah Larrieux: TPS Holder, Business Owner, Community Leader

A Life Built on Temporary Ground Farah Larrieux was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She began her career at age 17 as a television host at Telemax, then the most popular TV station in Port-au-Prince, and as a radio personality at Radio Vision 2000, Radio Signal FM, and Radio Planet Kreyol. In 2002, she co-founded THELAR Management Group in Haiti with Pierre-Michel Theodat, a strategic communications company focused on Haitian and Caribbean markets. She came to the United States in 2005, married to a Haitian American citizen, expecting a straightforward path to permanent residency. Instead, at a federal immigration interview in Miami, she says an agent coerced her husband into signing paperwork withdrawing his petition, claiming the marriage was not legitimate. The damage was irreversible. "They had no moral conscience to fix the mistake." She fell into depression, lost her hair, became suicidal. The marriage did not survive. Deportation proceedings followed. In 2010, Haiti's catastrophic earthquake made her eligible for TPS, granted just as she was facing deportation. TPS became the legal foundation she rebuilt her life on. She incorporated THELAR Management Group in the U.S., built a communications career, founded MHARBO (Miramar Haitian-American Residents and Business Owners), and became a national spokesperson for the TPS National Alliance. By 2026, she was one of the most visible Haitian TPS holders in America, quoted in CNN, Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, NBC, Local 10, WLRN, the Miami Herald, and featured in international press from France 24 to Radio-Canada to The Asahi Shimbun. Timeline of a Life in Limbo ~1979/1980 — Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 1991 — Age 14: writes a letter to President George H.W. Bush asking him to lift the trade embargo on Haiti. Never got an answer. 1997 — Starts TV career at Telemax at age 17. 2001 — Appears in Jean-Gardy Bien-Aime film Cicatrices 2. 2002 — Co-founds THELAR Management Group in Haiti. 2005 — Moves to the United States; marries U.S. citizen. Immigration interview derails path to green card. 2007 — Graduates Leadership Miami Program (Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce). 2010 — Haiti earthquake (Jan 12). TPS designated. Larrieux granted TPS just as deportation proceedings were underway. Her childhood home in Port-au-Prince was destroyed. 2011 — "Haiti Journal" debuts on WPBT2 (PBS affiliate South Florida), hosted by Larrieux. 2013 — Receives Minority/Women Business Enterprise certification from Miami-Dade County Public Schools. 2014 — Commissioned as Youth and Young Adult Minister, Archdiocese of Miami. Receives "Beacon of Hope and Achievement Award" from Consulate General of Haiti in Miami. 2017 — Trump administration first attempts to end TPS for Haitians. Larrieux becomes TPS National Alliance spokesperson. 2019/2020 — Co-founds MHARBO in Miramar with 9 other Haitian residents and business owners. 2023 — Named one of "50 Model and Inspiring Haitian Women." Nov 2025 — Trump administration announces TPS termination for Haiti, effective Feb 3, 2026. Jan 28, 2026 — Leads MHARBO silent vigil at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with SEIU 32BJ, SEIU 1199, Unite HERE. Feb 3, 2026 — Judge Ana Reyes blocks TPS termination hours before deadline. Larrieux: "I start screaming, screaming... I start also crying. It was a historical moment, an emotional moment." June 25-26, 2026 — SCOTUS 6-3 ruling allows Trump administration to terminate TPS. Larrieux: "It's a death sentence." Calls the decision "evil." July 2026 — Working with immigration attorney on asylum claim. "Now I have to reconsider everything, just to fight for my rights to exist." A Career Built Across Continents Larrieux's career spans television, radio, public relations, community organizing, and faith leadership. She hosted "Haiti Journal" on WPBT2 (PBS affiliate) from 2011-2016, bringing Haitian culture to public television. She served as impresario for Zenglen, one of the top Haitian bands in South Florida, and as public relations for Djakout Mizik. She managed international talent scouting for Haiti at the World Championship of Performing Arts and served as Haitian community liaison for the International Reggae and World Music Awards. Her company, THELAR Management Group, describes itself as "Your bridge to the Haitian market" and serves Haitian and Caribbean small businesses. One of her clients is a million-dollar insurance company in Jacksonville that employs over 100 people. Through MHARBO, which she co-founded in 2020, she organizes the annual Haitian Resources Fair of Broward, connecting thousands of residents to government agencies, healthcare, legal services, and employment assistance. The organization's mission: "Enhance the representation of Haitians living and doing business in Miramar through advocacy, community leadership, education, economic development, and government relationships." PROVEN: A Framework for Understanding Pattern: Larrieux's story is not isolated. She represents the 200,000 Haitian TPS holders in the U.S. workforce, 158,000 in Florida alone, who built careers, businesses, and community institutions on a status the government always called temporary. Reach: As a national spokesperson quoted in CNN, Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, NBC, Local 10, WLRN, France 24, Radio-Canada, The Asahi Shimbun, and dozens of other outlets, Larrieux's voice has reached millions. Observability: She has been profiled by multiple news organizations across 8 years. Her trajectory from TV host to TPS advocate is one of the best-documented individual stories in the Haitian TPS community. Vulnerability: She nearly faced deportation before TPS saved her. After the SCOTUS ruling, her driver's license expired the same day Judge Reyes had blocked termination. She could stay but could not legally drive to work. Economic Impact: THELAR Management Group serves clients including a million-dollar insurance company. Haitian TPS holders contribute $5.9 billion annually to the U.S. economy and $2.6 billion to Florida's economy alone. Neglected: Despite her contributions and the $805 million in annual federal taxes paid by Haitian TPS holders, the system offers no path to permanence. She must now apply for asylum—starting over from scratch. The Human Cost in Statistics $5.9B Annual Haitian TPS contribution to U.S. economy $2.6B Annual contribution to Florida economy $805M Annual federal/payroll taxes from Haitian TPS holders 200K Haitian TPS holders in U.S. workforce 158K Haitian TPS holders in Florida 93K Haitian TPS workers in Florida workforce 50K U.S. citizen children with Haitian TPS parents 14.5% TPS entrepreneurship rate vs 9.3% for U.S.-born Fun Facts The Letter to President Bush At age 14, Farah wrote a personal letter to President George H.W. Bush asking him to lift the trade embargo on Haiti. She never got an answer. But the impulse to speak truth to power never left her. From Shy Child to TV Host She was bullied in primary school for being shy, causing her to "freeze, sweat, shake, stutter" when speaking in class. She promised herself: "No one would ever humiliate me publicly because of my shyness." She became a TV host. The Timing of Justice Her driver's license expired on the same day Judge Reyes blocked TPS termination (Feb 3, 2026). She had the legal right to stay but no legal way to drive to work. The Homemade Shirt She wore a shirt reading "Ending TPS for Haiti is like a death sentence for many Haitians" to her Reuters interview in June 2026. The Flag and the Art After the SCOTUS ruling, she told Reuters she has a U.S. flag displayed at home alongside Haitian art. "I love this country and I respect its values. But now I see how easily those values can be abandoned." No Home to Return To Her mother died before the 2010 earthquake. Her childhood home in Port-au-Prince was destroyed in it. She has no home to return to. The Evil Question When Local 10 asked if the SCOTUS ruling was evil, Farah did not hesitate. "Yes. It is evil." She told the Miami Herald: "I love this country. I have a U.S. flag displayed at home right next to my Haitian art. But now I see how easily the values this country claims to stand for can be abandoned when it is politically convenient." After the ruling, she told Reuters: "This is a death sentence for many of us. Not just deportation, but the destruction of everything we have built over 15 years. My business, my community work, my life here. All of it built on a status the Supreme Court just declared worthless." The Asylum Backup As of July 2026, Larrieux is working with an immigration attorney on an asylum claim. She is among thousands of TPS holders scrambling to find any legal pathway that does not end in deportation. "Now I have to reconsider everything," she told WFLX, "just to fight for my rights to exist. And this is for why? For what reason?" The question hangs unanswered. Sources [1] Haitian American Business Summit: Speaker profile [2] LinkedIn: Farah Larrieux profile [3] IMDB: Farah Larrieux [4] Courthouse News Bio (2018): PDF [5] Caribbean Journal (Nov 2011): Talking Haiti with Farah Larrieux [6] Roomaroger Blog (Nov 2012): By Herself for Herself [7] WLRN (Feb 3, 2026): From panic to relief [8] WLRN (Jan 28, 2026): Depressed and afraid [9] WLRN (Apr 10, 2017): Trump and TPS [10] WLRN (Dec 30, 2020): Kidnapping fears [11] WLRN (Aug 1, 2023): Haiti gang violence [12] Miami Times (Jan 13, 2026): Lives of South Florida Haitians on hold [13] NBC Miami (Jun 26, 2026): SCOTUS ruling [14] Miami Herald (Jun 26, 2026): Haitian advocates denounce SCOTUS [15] Local 10 (Jun 25, 2026): SCOTUS protest [16] Local 10 (Feb 1, 2026): This Week in South Florida [17] Local 10 (Jun 26, 2026): Workforce fallout [18] Capital B News (Jun 26, 2026): World Cup joy gave way to deportation fears [19] Al-Monitor/Reuters (Jul 1, 2026): As deportation protections end [20] US News/Reuters (Jul 1, 2026): Farah Larrieux profile [21] WPTV (Jul 6, 2026): Advocates push Senate [22] WFLX (Jul 6, 2026): Reconsider everything [23] Haitian Times (Feb 14, 2018): Faces of TPS: Farah Larrieux [24] Haitian Times (Feb 9, 2026): Driver's license limbo [25] Haitian Times (Feb 2, 2026): Economic data [26] Haitian Times (May 22, 2026): World Cup watch parties [27] Haitian Times (Jan 30, 2026): Advocates mobilize [28] South Florida Caribbean News (Nov 21, 2017): TPS decision unfair [29] Miramar News (Jan 28, 2026): Haitian businesses fight to keep TPS [30] Miramar News (Jul 22, 2026): Post-Supreme Court advocacy [31] Sun Sentinel (Jan 28, 2026): Rally at FLL [32] EL PAIS (Dec 26, 2025): Returning is a death sentence [33] FCN Haiti (Jul 2, 2026): French-language interview [34] Radio-Canada (2017): Haitian unease [35] CNN Business (Apr 28, 2026): TPS entrepreneurs [36] FWD.us (Jan 2026): Haiti TPS Fact Sheet [37] FWD.us (Jan 27, 2026): Cost of terminating TPS [38] FWD.us (Mar 6, 2019): Fly-in profile [39] American Immigration Council: Economic contributions of TPS holders [40] NCRC (Mar 12, 2026): SBA loan restrictions [41] NerdWallet: SBA green card exclusion [42] ILRC (2017): Economic impact of TPS termination [43] Miami Herald (Jan 31, 2026): Economic impact of losing TPS [44] Axios Miami (Jul 10, 2026): TPS rally [45] Le Floridien (Dec 5, 2023): MHARBO 2nd Annual Fair [46] Haitian Tribune (Jul 11, 2024): A Beacon of Leadership and Advocacy [47] Haiti Libre (2023): 50 Model and Inspiring Haitian Women [48] France 24 (Nov 29, 2025): YouTube interview [49] MHARBO Official: Site [50] MHARBO LinkedIn: LinkedIn [51] Florida Sunbiz: MHARBO corporate filing [52] Reuters (Jun 28, 2026): Larrieux photographs