The House passed legislation Thursday to restore temporary protections for Haitian immigrants, marking a rare display of Republican defection that directly contradicts the Trump administration's hardline immigration stance. The vote tally of 224-204 included ten Republicans who broke ranks with their party leadership and joined Democrats to advance the measure.
The bill's path to the floor revealed deep fractures within the GOP majority. A small coalition of moderate Republicans teamed with Democrats on a discharge petition, forcing a vote that sidestepped Speaker Mike Johnson and senior Republican leaders who opposed the measure. This marks the fourth successful discharge petition this Congress, underscoring how the razor-thin 218-213 Republican majority leaves the party vulnerable to minority leverage.
The legislation would require the Homeland Security secretary to designate Haiti for temporary protected status for three years. The Trump administration moved to terminate TPS protections for roughly 350,000 Haitians last summer, but a federal judge blocked the action. That decision now faces appeal, with the Supreme Court expected to hear arguments this month.
The White House promised a veto if the bill reaches President Trump's desk. "This terrible bill is going nowhere," a White House official said Thursday, emphasizing that the administration remains focused on enforcing immigration law and prioritizing American citizens.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., led the discharge drive and framed the issue around healthcare workforce needs. She cited personal experience with Haitian caregivers who tended to her mother during cancer treatment, then highlighted the outsized role Haitians play in elder care and health services. "One in four of our long-term health care workers are Haitian," Pressley said on the floor, describing how TPS holders disproportionately serve as home health aides and nursing home workers who risked their lives during the pandemic.
Republican opposition centered on crime concerns and immigration enforcement. Rep. Randy Fine of Florida cited three violent crimes committed by Haitian immigrants in his state, calling the bill a scam. "I did not come here to protect Haitians," Fine said, arguing that TPS was originally meant for earthquake relief 16 years ago and had stretched far beyond its intended scope.
Six Republicans voted yes on the procedural petition that forced Thursday's vote: María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Mike Lawler of New York, and Nicole Malliotakis, also of New York. Lawler and Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., authored the underlying bill.
The legislation now heads to the Senate with uncertain prospects. The narrowness of the House margin and Trump's veto threat suggest the measure faces steep odds of becoming law, but the vote itself reflects a widening split between Trump's hardline approach and moderate Republicans representing districts with significant immigrant populations.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Ten House Republicans showing spine on immigration is remarkable in this era, but veto-proof support looks nowhere near reality."
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