politics
US House Approves Bill to Extend TPS for 350,000 Haitians Amid Trump Opposition
The US House of Representatives passed legislation to shield 350,000 Haitians from deportation for three years, with bipartisan support overriding Republican leadership. The bill extends Temporary Protected Status amid ongoing legal challenges to the Trump administration's termination efforts. It faces uncertainty in the Senate and a potential presidential veto.
Apr 15, 1:13 PM·3m read76 sources
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The US House of Representatives voted 224-204 to pass a bill extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Haitians, allowing them to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation for three years. The vote included 10 or 11 Republicans joining all Democrats, defying House Republican leaders and the Trump administration's push to end the protections.
The legislation was brought to the floor via a discharge petition signed by 218 lawmakers.
The TPS program for Haitians was initially granted in 2010 following a devastating earthquake in Haiti, and has been extended by subsequent administrations due to ongoing issues like gang violence, political instability, and food shortages. The Trump administration terminated the protections last year, asserting improved conditions in Haiti, but this decision has been blocked by federal courts and is under Supreme Court review, with arguments scheduled for later this month.
The bill's sponsor described the vote as a pivotal milestone in protecting community members from horrors in Haiti.
She urged the Senate to take up the measure. >"I’m eternally grateful to those women for their kindness, their competence and their empathy. " — Ayanna Pressley, House floor speech (The Guardian). Democrat Ayanna Pressley, co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, highlighted the contributions of Haitian TPS holders in healthcare and other industries, stating they enhance the nation.
She recounted personal experiences with Haitian nurses caring for her mother. Republican Mike Lawler supported the bill, noting the need for a process to adjudicate claims to avoid collapse in sectors like healthcare where many TPS holders work. Florida Republican Carlos Gimenez emphasized that Haitian migrants are neighbors and co-workers, and returning them to gang-overrun Haiti would be unsafe and inhumane.
