TPS for Haitians: Three Florida Lawmakers Back Measure — Diaspora Urged to Mobilize Senators
By Claudy Briend Auguste
WASHINGTON (RN) — The U.S. House of Representatives last Tuesday approved legislation to extend the Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals for an additional three years, following a bipartisan vote that signals a shift in the immigration debate.
Eleven Republicans joined Democrats to advance the measure, including three Florida lawmakers — María Elvira Salazar, Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Giménez — from a state where the Haitian diaspora represents a significant share of the workforce and local economy.
Other lawmakers who crossed party lines include Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Nicole Malliotakis, Mike Lawler, Mike Turner, Rich McCormick, Mike Carey and independent Kevin Kiley, reflecting a convergence around humanitarian and economic concerns tied to the continuation of TPS as federal courts review challenges to efforts to end the program.
Josué Renaud of the New England Human Rights Organization called for immediate mobilization of the Haitian diaspora, urging supporters to contact Senate regional offices starting Monday to press lawmakers to follow the House’s lead. “We hope senators will follow suit,” he said. The bill now moves to the Senate, where its outcome is expected to determine the future of the protections.