In a break from party leadership, the House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday to reinstate temporary protections for Haitian immigrants.
The 224-204 vote marks a significant legislative challenge to President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, as 10 Republicans joined Democrats to pass the measure.
The bill’s path to the floor was unconventional, bypassing Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leadership through a discharge petition led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA).
This maneuver, the fourth of its kind this session, highlights the volatility of the narrow 218-213 Republican majority. Under the proposed law, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be required to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of three years.
The debate on the floor was starkly divided. Pressley, co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, emphasized the human and economic impact of the Haitian community, noting that a large percentage of the nation’s healthcare workers and home health aides are Haitian TPS holders.
“Our seniors need care to age with dignity,” Pressley said, citing the personal care her mother received from Haitian nurses.
Conversely, conservative critics like Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) dismissed the program as outdated, arguing it was intended only as a short-term response to an earthquake 16 years ago.
“I did not come here to protect Haitians. I came to protect for the good of our country,” Fine said, advocating instead for the return of these individuals to Haiti. These comments echoed those of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who argued earlier in the day that the bill would effectively make “temporary permanent.”
READ: Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan Sounds Off On Haiti TPS Bill As House Floor Heats Up
The White House quickly issued a veto threat, with an official stating the bill was “going nowhere” and that the administration remains focused on “putting American citizens first.”
The legal status of roughly 350,000 Haitians currently sits in a state of limbo; while the Trump administration has moved to end their status, federal courts have blocked those efforts. The dispute is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court later this month.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain. The initial push for the legislation was a bipartisan effort first introduced by Reps. Laura Gillen (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), with Lawler being one of the six Republicans who initially helped force the vote earlier in the week.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
