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US House votes to extend temporary protections for Haitians in Trump rebuke
TL;DR
The US House of Representatives voted to extend Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Haitians, passing the bill 224 to 204. This decision marks a significant rebuke of President Trump's immigration policies.
Key points
- US House voted to extend TPS for 350,000 Haitians
- Vote passed 224 to 204 with support from ten Republicans
- Bill allows TPS for Haitians for three more years
- Measure faces uncertain prospects in the Senate
- Trump is expected to veto the bill if it passes
Mentioned in this story
US House of RepresentativesDonald TrumpAyanna PressleyHaiti
The United States House of Representatives has voted to extend temporary immigration protections for some 350,000 Haitians living in the country, in a break with President Donald Trump.
Ten Republicans joined the Democratic majority in Thursday’s vote, which passed by a margin of 224 to 204.
The bill would allow Haitians already in the US to keep their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for three additional years, due to violence and instability in the Caribbean country.
The measure will now proceed to the US Senate, where it faces uncertain prospects. If it passed, Trump would almost certainly veto the bill.
“This is a monumental victory in a long-fought battle to protect the safety, dignity, and humanity of our Haitian neighbors,” Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley, the co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, said in a statement.
“Democrats and Republicans alike have come together to support our Haitian neighbors not just because this is good, commonsense policy, but because it is the right, humane thing to do.”
The bill advanced on Thursday through a bipartisan discharge petition, a legislative tool that allows lawmakers to bypass the House’s Republican leadership and force a vote.
Trump’s opposition
But the bill’s progress tees up a potential clash with the White House.
Trump and his officials have repeatedly attempted to roll back temporary immigration protections on the basis that previous administrations had exceeded their authority in granting extensions.
The push comes as part of Trump’s wider effort to restrict immigration into the US.
TPS is designed to shield foreign nationals who are already in the country from deportation. It is granted when their countries of origin are facing temporarily unsafe conditions, including natural disasters and conflicts. It also confers temporary work authorisation to successful applicants.
Last year, the Trump administration made several efforts to end TPS for Haitians, citing US “national interests”.
In June, for instance, it said the designation would expire in August. Then, in November, it renewed its intentions to end the programme, calling the move a “vote of confidence” in Haiti’s government.
The Caribbean nation has suffered from high levels of violence and political instability since the of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
Q&A
What does the bill to extend TPS for Haitians entail?
The bill allows Haitians in the US to maintain their Temporary Protected Status for an additional three years due to ongoing violence and instability in Haiti.
How did the House vote on the TPS extension for Haitians?
The House voted 224 to 204 in favor of extending TPS for Haitians, with ten Republicans joining the Democratic majority.
What are the chances of the TPS extension passing in the Senate?
The bill now moves to the Senate, where its prospects are uncertain and it is likely to face a veto from President Trump if passed.
