New York, New York - The UN's rights expert on Haiti said Monday that nobody should be deported to the poor, violent country, pushing back against a US drive to end protected status for 350,000 Haitians.

"I think no one should be forcibly deported to Haiti now from wherever they are, that includes the United States," William O'Neill, an American who leads the UN's rights mission on the Caribbean nation, told a press conference.

"6.5 million people more or less are acutely food insecure. Access to medical care was never very good. It's now much, much weaker," O'Neill said.

He added that "1.4 to 1.5 million already are internally refugees, except they're still within Haiti."

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Around 350,000 Haitian nationals have been granted Temporary Protective Status that lets them live and work in the US, but President Donald Trump wants to end the protection, potentially forcing them to return home.

The push comes even as the US State Department keeps a red alert on Haiti due to the risks of robbery, sexual assault, gang violence, and other ills, saying, "Do not travel to Haiti for any reason."

The Trump administration had designated the program to end on February 3, but the order was suspended by US District Court judge on February 2.