WASHINGTON D.C.- Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17) is urging the Senate to quickly pass bipartisan legislation that would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to end the program.
Lawler sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune calling for immediate action on a bill he co-sponsored with Congresswoman Laura Gillen (D, NY-4) earlier this year after the administration announced plans to terminate Haiti’s TPS designation.
According to Lawler’s office, the legislation passed the House with bipartisan support after he signed a discharge petition to bring it to the floor. The bill has since remained pending in the Senate.
Temporary Protected Status allows eligible nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States for a limited time.
Lawler said ending the program would have significant consequences for both Haitian families and the nation’s healthcare system. His office noted that roughly one-third of the approximately 350,000 Haitians currently covered by TPS work in healthcare as nurses, home health aides, direct support professionals, and other caregivers.
Lawler argued that removing those workers would worsen existing healthcare staffing shortages while disrupting patient care.
He also said conditions in Haiti remain too dangerous for many people to return because of widespread gang violence, kidnappings, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
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