On April 16, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives took a historic step by passing H.R. 1689, a bipartisan bill to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitians living in the United States. The legislation, introduced by Congresswoman Laura Gillen of New York’s Fourth District, directs the Department of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for TPS until April 20, 2029. The measure passed with a vote of 224 to 204, reflecting a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation in a deeply divided Congress. Now, all eyes turn to the Senate, where the bill awaits further action.
The road to this milestone has been anything but straightforward. According to Rep. Gillen’s office, the push to extend TPS for Haitians began over a year ago, when she introduced her very first bill in Congress. "I’m thrilled that the first bill I introduced in Congress has just passed the House," she said after the vote. Gillen emphasized that the effort was not just about legal protections, but about safeguarding neighbors who are integral to their communities: "I was proud to lead the bipartisan effort to extend TPS for law-abiding and tax-paying Haitians who would face horrific conditions if forced back to Haiti. Not only would this threaten the lives of our neighbors, it would also have a devastating effect on our economy."
Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian program that allows nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States. For Haitians, the stakes could not be higher. Armed gangs currently control 90% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and more than 1.4 million civilians—half of them children—have been displaced, as reported by the U.S. Department of State. The Department explicitly warns American citizens not to travel to Haiti due to rampant crime, kidnappings, terrorist activity, and limited health care. "It is cruel to expect Haitians to be forced to return to these deadly conditions," Gillen told her colleagues on the House floor.
Rep. Gillen’s advocacy has been relentless. In February 2025, she introduced her bipartisan bill to direct the Department of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for TPS for 18 months starting August 3, 2025. When the Administration abruptly terminated humanitarian parole for Haitian citizens in June 2025, Gillen urged Secretary Kristi Noem to reinstate the program. By September, she had helped pass a bill targeting criminal gangs and corrupt officials fueling Haiti’s crisis, and she joined legal efforts challenging the Administration’s attempt to end Haiti’s TPS designation.
Her efforts found powerful allies. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who serves as Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country, played a pivotal role in the bill’s advancement. According to Pressley’s office, her discharge petition—an unusual procedural maneuver to force a vote—gathered the required 218 signatures in March 2026, including support from both sides of the aisle. On April 15, Pressley managed floor debate and held a press conference with Rep. Gillen and other advocates, urging Congress to act swiftly. The next day, her discharge petition passed 220 to 207, clearing the way for the final vote on Gillen’s bill.
Pressley’s commitment to Haitian communities has been unwavering. She has consistently opposed efforts by the Trump administration to terminate TPS for Haitians, often highlighting the direct impact on her constituents. "Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district," she noted in a recent statement. In February 2026, she applauded a federal judge’s ruling temporarily blocking the Administration’s move to terminate TPS, calling it "a vital reprieve for families who have built their lives here."
Pressley’s advocacy extends beyond legislative maneuvering. Over the past four years, she has led and joined numerous letters, amicus briefs, and field hearings with fellow lawmakers, Haitian faith leaders, and community advocates. As detailed by her office, these efforts have included urging both the Biden and Trump administrations to redesignate and extend TPS for Haiti, calling for humanitarian parole for those detained, and highlighting the economic and social contributions of Haitian immigrants—especially in sectors like healthcare, education, and caregiving.
Back in Nassau County, New York, the stakes are deeply personal. Gillen’s district is home to one of the largest Haitian populations in the country. At a roundtable hosted earlier this week with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Nassau County Haitian community leaders, stories of hardship and resilience were front and center. One community leader recounted her recent trip to Haiti, describing how she was unable to travel to Port-au-Prince because the city was "so overrun by gangs." She said, "There is only a small part of the northern end of the island with some semblance of safety. For anyone forced to return there, the Haitian government would say, ‘You’re on your own.’ No housing and no promise of securing work. It is a truly dire situation."
Another speaker, a young TPS recipient who has lived in the U.S. for six years, shared his determination to give back to his adopted community after graduating from college. Gillen described him as someone who "encapsulates the heart of the Haitian community and the true humanity of the people we are trying to protect."
There’s no question that the debate over TPS for Haitians has been shaped by broader political battles over immigration. Both Gillen and Pressley have criticized the Trump administration’s attempts to terminate the program, calling such efforts "cruel," "misguided," and "unlawful." Yet the passage of H.R. 1689 demonstrates that, at least on this issue, bipartisan consensus is still possible. Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, co-signed the discharge petition and was an original cosponsor of Gillen’s bill. As Gillen put it, "It shows the bipartisan nature of this issue. It affects communities, red and blue."
For now, the future of more than 350,000 Haitians in the United States hangs in the balance as the Senate prepares to consider the bill. Supporters argue that extending TPS is not just a moral imperative, but an economic one as well. Haitian immigrants are "part of the very fabric of our communities," working in critical sectors and building thriving businesses that enrich local economies.
As lawmakers and advocates continue their push, the stories from Long Island to Boston serve as a powerful reminder of what’s at stake—not just for Haitian families, but for the nation as a whole. The coming weeks in the Senate will determine whether this bipartisan victory in the House translates into lasting protection for thousands of Haitian Americans who have come to call the United States home.