Effort to force House vote to save Haitians’ TPS secures bipartisan support
A petition to force a House vote on extending temporary legal protections to thousands of Haitians at risk of deportation to their violence-torn homeland secured the required support late Friday, including from four Republicans.
The rare procedural maneuver, led by Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts needed 218 signatures — a simple majority of the 435-members of the House — to discharge HR 1689 from committee and bring it to the floor. The legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status amid the Trump administration’s efforts to end the benefit, which has allowed roughly 350,000 Haitians to live and work in the U.S. due to Haiti’s ongoing gang violence and political instability.
In addition to Democratic support, the petition also received backing from four Republicans, including Miami U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar. She became the first member of her party to support the effort after Pressley introduced it in January. The other three who crossed party lines were Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Mike Lawler of New York and Don Bacon of Nebraska. Lawler is a co-sponsorer of HR 1689 along with Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla. The bipartisan bill was introduced by New York Democrat Rep. Laura Gillen.
“I’m proud that my bill to extend TPS for Haitian Americans now has the bipartisan support needed to force a vote on this dire issue in Congress,” said Gillen, who introduced HR 1689 as her first legislation after taking office and has helped lead efforts for the discharge petition. “Since taking office, I have fought tirelessly to extend TPS for Haitian recipients after the administration refused to do so. Bringing this bill to a vote is an important milestone to protect the lives of our Haitian friends and neighbors across the country.”
Immigration advocates on Saturday also hailed the historic bipartisan support, and urged the Senate “to act swiftly once the House votes.”
The measure can now be brought up for a vote on the next eligible Monday. If the House passes the bill, it would move to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain path.
“We commend congresswoman Pressley for her leadership, devotion and commitment to fighting on behalf of our Haitian TPS holders,” said Guerline Jozef, co-founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance. “We are grateful for the 218 congressional members who joined to support a bipartisan ask to safeguard TPS for over 350,000 Haitians and their families. This is a true testimony of grassroot community organizing and advocacy centered in the reality of impacted peoples. This monumental bipartisan step brings us closer to protect Haiti TPS holders from family separation, loss of employment and deportation as they can continue to give back and enrich the United States.”
Haiti is among several countries whose TPS designations have been targeted by President Donald Trump. After five Haitian TPS holders sued on behalf of themselves and roughly 350,000 others at risk of detention and deportation, arguing racial and national bias, federal Judge Ana C. Reyes blocked the termination. Her ruling — finding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits — was upheld in a 2-1 decision by a federal appeals court.
The administration has appealed to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear arguments April 29 on ending TPS for Haiti and Syria.
Faith in Action, a nationwide network of faith-based community organizations, noted in a statement Saturday that without protection, hundreds of thousands of families face forced separation and mass deportation — and those deported would be returned to a country struggling against widespread gang violence, the absence of a functioning government, and a humanitarian crisis so severe that the U.S. government itself warns American citizens not to travel there.
The advocacy group is among those that pushed for the petition, urging supporters to call and write lawmakers.
“Faith cannot be neutral when families are put at risk,” said Bishop Dwayne Royster, executive director of Faith in Action, adding that lawmakers “answered the call of conscience.”
“We give thanks — and we keep organizing,” he said.
Faith in Action noted that the effort was aided by the four Republicans who crossed party lines.
“This win belongs to the people — to the clergy who made the calls, the community members who traveled to Washington, and the Haitian families who never stopped demanding to be seen,” said Claudette David of Faith in Action. “The Haitian diaspora community and friends of Haiti built these relationships one conversation at a time, and today that work changed history.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 1:09 PM.
