4 steps Congress must take to end uncertainty for Haitians and Venezuelans on TPS | Opinion

I serve Florida House District 106 in Miami-Dade County, one of the most diverse districts in our country. I am also the son of an immigrant, and I represent communities that live every day with the real world consequences of federal immigration uncertainty.

I am writing with respect and urgency.

Right now, families, employers and state agencies are again being forced to operate inside a cycle of shifting deadlines, litigation and last minute court rulings tied to Temporary Protected Status for people from Haiti, Venezuela and other countries. Regardless of where each of you stands on the broader immigration debate, this pattern is not serving our country well. It undermines stability, compliance and confidence in government.

This issue is difficult. We inherited decades of unresolved policy and competing priorities. But this is precisely why clarity matters. TPS grants legal status to people who cannot return to their home country because of armed conflict, natural disasters and other temporary conditions. Since the Trump administration terminated the TPS designation for several countries, lawsuits and several court rulings have followed, creating uncertainty about the program’s future.

I believe it is important to say out loud what many Americans already sense. This uncertainty persists because it has become politically convenient. Some prefer repeated extensions of TPS because it allows them to claim protection without voting for a durable framework, while others prefer repeated termination attempts because it allows them to claim toughness without building a workable system. The result is predictable: Congress does not legislate, agencies improvise and courts are forced into the middle.

The people paying the price are not politicians. The people paying the price are families trying to follow the law, employers trying to comply and states like Florida are left to implement federal ambiguity.

I make the following suggestions, and I hope they inspire serious thought. Very good people are counting on Congress to do the right thing, and to do it in a timely manner.

First, Congress should set a clear statutory timeline for TPS designations and renewals. TPS should not drift indefinitely through administrative extensions. If TPS is to be continued beyond its original designation period, it should require an affirmative vote by Congress.

Second, Congress should require a structured transition when TPS is being ended. That transition should include a predictable wind down period, continuity of work authorization during that period, and clear federal guidance to employers and states well in advance. This is not leniency. It is orderly administration.

Third, Congress should create a lawful temporary transition status for longterm TPS holders who have been continuously present in the U.S., law-abiding and working. This should not be an automatic green card. It should be a defined, conditional status that keeps people documented and employable while the federal government completes a final determination.

Finally, Congress should keep enforcement focused where the American public is already aligned. Remove criminals and fraudsters. Stop exploitation. Protect the border. But do it with consistency and discipline, not with a system that swings between deadlines and court orders.

Strict is not inhuman and order is not cruelty. A serious nation can enforce its laws while treating people with dignity.

Uncertainty has a cost, and that cost is being paid right now by real people and real communities.

This op-ed was originally written as an open letter to the U.S. Congress. Fabian Basabe is a Republican state representative for Florida House District 106, covering Miami Beach and other parts of Miami-Dade County.