The U.S. House has voted to extend the legal pathway that thousands of Haitian immigrants have taken to come to Springfield and the rest of the country.
The vote was 224-204, including 10 Republicans who joined all of the Democrats. Ohio Representatives Mike Carey and Mike Turner voted in favor of this bill.
This action impacts an estimated 350,000 Haitians in the United States, including thousands across Ohio. The Trump administration had scheduled their Temporary Protected Status to end on Feb. 3. However, a district judge delayed that action while a lawsuit makes its way through the legal system.
The Department of Homeland Security grants TPS to nations negatively impacted by natural disasters, violent armed conflicts and other unsafe conditions. This offers nationals from these countries a safe entrance into the United States for a limited time.
In 2010, President Obama extended TPS to Haiti following a devastating earthquake in the already economically fragile nation. It left an estimated 220,000 dead and 1.5 million people displaced. Later, both the Biden and the first Trump administrations extended TPS.
The vote was forced by a rare discharge petition led by Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. This move bypassed House leadership and brought the bill directly to the floor. Supporters argue the extension is necessary because of the worsening security situation and violence in Haiti.
The bill would extend TPS until April 2029. It now moves to the U.S. Senate. According to the White House, if the Senate passes this bill, President Donald Trump will veto it.
On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on a national lawsuit against the Trump Administration regarding the TPS status of Haiti and Syria. The goal of the lawsuit is to prevent the immediate deportation of an estimated 6,000 Syrians and 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S. under TPS. The high court is expected to render a decision by June.
