Six Republicans and one independent joined all Democrats on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to advance a bill aimed at extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants.
The vote, adopted by 219 to 209, allows a discharge petition led by Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat from Massachusetts, to move forward. The vote signals opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, forcing a vote to advance a measure restoring temporary protections for approximately 350,000 Haitians living in the United States.
The proposal seeks to extend TPS for Haitians until April 2029, according to several U.S. media outlets.
“This is a decisive step forward in our fight for justice for immigrants and in ensuring our Haitian neighbors receive the protections they deserve—and a testament to the strength of our broad, diverse, and bipartisan coalition,” said Representative Pressley in a statement. “I am grateful to colleagues on both sides who supported our discharge petition, to my team leading this effort, and to our movement partners who helped us get here. The House must act urgently and pass this legislation without delay.”
“We’ve heard from nursing homes in our district that they would lose skilled and dedicated staff if TPS is not renewed,” said New York Republican Nicole Malliotakis in an interview with Newsweek. “These are Haitian immigrants who work, pay taxes, contribute to our economy, and meet a critical need in healthcare. Stripping them of their status and sending them back to a country in crisis would be both unwise and lacking compassion.”
The Republicans who voted in favor of extending TPS include Don Bacon (Nebraska), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania), Mike Lawler (New York), María Elvira Salazar (Florida), Carlos Giménez (Florida), and Nicole Malliotakis (New York). Kevin Kiley recently left the Republican Party to become an independent, according to Newsweek.
“Ending TPS would strip 350,000 workers—many in healthcare—of their right to work at a time when we face serious staffing shortages,” Bacon told Newsweek. “I’ve heard from care providers and business leaders in Nebraska about the consequences this would have for patients and the economy. I see no benefit in deporting people who are here legally, working, and contributing.”
“Right now, Haiti is facing a humanitarian crisis that is becoming more violently unstable each day,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark in a statement.
“Instead of answering the call for compassion toward those seeking safe refuge, Donald Trump is endangering the lives of more than 350,000 Haitian TPS holders—including 45,000 in Massachusetts—by sending them back to the chaos they legally fled, turning his back on a community in need. And for what? To advance a misguided anti-immigrant agenda.”
Among supporters of the motion is Salazar, one of the leading Republican figures behind the Dignity Act, a bipartisan bill that has recently sparked tensions within the Republican caucus. Salazar argues that her bill would strengthen legal immigration systems and provide a pathway to legal status for long-term undocumented immigrants, while critics accuse it of promoting broad amnesty.
In a message posted on March 30 on X, Salazar reaffirmed her support for TPS holders: “TPS exists for a reason: to protect people who cannot safely return home. I represent thousands in my district who would face persecution or imprisonment if we sent them back too soon. We cannot end these protections until conditions have truly changed.”
