Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., urged the Trump administration Thursday to preserve temporary protected status for tens of thousands of Haitians in the U.S., arguing the situation in Haiti is a humanitarian and political disaster.
Lawler’s request followed the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that federal courts cannot review government decisions to end TPS for Syria and Haiti.
In a statement on X, Lawler wrote: “While I have never disputed the President’s ability to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS), I strongly disagree with ending Haitian TPS at this time.” He emphasized that the humanitarian and political crisis in Haiti continues to warrant an extension of protections.
“The State Department has issued a Level 4 travel advisory urging Americans to evacuate and avoid travel there due to gangs controlling the country, engaged in gun and drug trafficking, and kidnapping innocent Haitians,” Lawler stated. “We must root out these threats and establish a stable government with free and fair elections to create conditions for a safe return.”
Lawler was one of 10 Republicans who joined Democrats in passing a House bill in April directing the Department of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for TPS for 18 months. The legislation, which passed by a 224-204 vote, has not yet been considered by the Senate.
When asked whether President Trump would heed Lawler’s request to preserve Haiti’s TPS designation, the White House reiterated support for the Supreme Court ruling but did not directly address the request. In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson described the decision as “a tremendous win” for the Trump Administration, asserting: “The Supreme Court affirmed what President Trump has always maintained: temporary protected status is by definition temporary.”
Congress established TPS in 1990 to allow eligible foreign nationals to live and work legally in the U.S. when they cannot safely return home due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary conditions. More than 353,000 Haitians have received TPS protections since Haiti first qualified after the 2010 earthquake.
Haiti has faced crises including the assassination of its president in 2021 and widespread gang violence. In February 2025, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem initiated the process to cancel TPS for Haitians under Trump’s pledge to limit the program.
Lawler highlighted that approximately one-third of Haiti’s 350,000+ TPS holders work in healthcare, nursing homes, and intellectual and developmental disability services. “Immediately shutting off TPS will create a crisis,” he stated. “I’m asking the administration to allow an orderly process for Haitian TPS holders to maintain work authorization while their immigration cases are adjudicated over the next six months.”
Lawler concluded by urging the Senate to adopt the House legislation extending TPS for Haiti for 18 months, which he co-led with Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y.
