WASHINGTON, CMC—Republican Michael V. Lawler has written to President Donald Trump urging his Administration to keep Haitian citizens’ Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in place.
“For years, the security environment in Haiti has been spiraling out of control, leaving the country unstable and dangerous for communities still in the country,’ he wrote, adding, “With such a critical situation ongoing in Haiti, it is paramount that you maintain the current TPS designation for Haiti and extend this designation in the coming months.”
Michael V. Lawler
The US government announced last Thursday that it will end the TPS for 500,000 Haitians living in the country in August.
The Department of Homeland Security said TPS has been held by Haitians since 2010 and will be ending on 3 August 2025. This means they will lose their work permits and could be eligible for deportation
“For decades, the TPS system has been exploited and abused,” the Department for Homeland Security said in a statement, adding the system has allowed Haitians who “entered the US illegally to qualify for legally protected status.”
In his letter, Lawler said that due to Haiti’s close proximity to the United States and our long history with the country, there has always been a strong interest in the well-being of the Haitian people.
The Republican legislator said that according to the US Census Bureau, over one million individuals of Haitian descent live in the United States. He represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora constituencies and “can say with experience that they are good people who care deeply about their communities here in the US and back in Haiti.
” Since August 2021, Haitian citizens present in the S have been eligible for TPS, with it currently set to expire in February 2026. TPS allows nationals of a foreign country already present in the US to slay in the country under temporary status if their home country is experiencing ongoing armed conflict or another extraordinary situation that would prevent nation a ls from safely returning.”
Lawler said that while Democratic administrations have abused specific other TPS designations in the past, “Haiti’s designation is warranted.
“The 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise plunged the country into unprecedented instability, and conditions have only worsened since then. A new government was never truly formed, and now armed gangs largely control the country, Gang violence. Sexual violence. It has become a severe crisis, and the humanitarian situation has deteriorated. Citizen security has proven non-existent.”
The Republican said unfortunately, the Biden administration did not prioritize the return of law and order to Haiti and did not make any meaningful change in the country.
“Rather, Port-au-Prince only became more unstable and unsafe for the Haitian people. The previous Administration’s lack of commitment to reaching a brighter future for Haiti has had profound implications. Conditions in Haiti are as dangerous as ever and continue to intensify daily.
” Until the change is made, Haiti continues to meet the criteria for TPS. I urge you to extend the designation as August approaches. I look forward to working with you on addressing this issue and others facing Haiti and the Haitian diaspora in the US,” Lawler wrote.
and then  in place.){kind=link}