By Christina Arlotta
U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen announced the introduction of H.R. Bill 1689, aimed at extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, during a news conference in Elmont Friday. The measure seeks to extend the status 18 months beyond the Aug. 3 deadline set by the Trump administration to end this TPS program.
So far, the bill, which matches a similar 2019 proposal by Sen. Marco Rubio, has received bipartisan support from Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), head of the Haiti Caucus. Gillen is urging the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-LA), to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.
TPS is a temporary immigration status that permits people from certain countries, often plagued by armed conflicts, environmental catastrophes and disease epidemics, to live in the United States. TPS recipients are legally allowed to work and are protected from deportation. The status is usually renewed every six to 18 months.
State Assemblywoman Michael Solages, a Democrat from Elmont, the Rev. Edy Bichotte and other members of the Long Island Haitian community stood behind Gillen, a Democrat from Rockville Centre, echoing her call to protect Haitians living in the U.S. under TPS.
“The administration’s abrupt, unfounded decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians will have a devastating impact here on Long Island,” Gillen said. “Here in Nassau County, we have 26,000 Haitian residents, and almost 9% of all Haitian TPS holders nationwide live here in New York. Our neighbors who have been protected under our laws are now at risk of being sent back to certain life threatening danger. The ongoing violence in Haiti is exactly why Congress created TPS — to allow people who cannot safely return home to remain here temporarily while contributing to our economy and society.”
For years, Haiti has struggled with political instability, abject poverty and natural disasters. More recently, a surge in gang violence has sent the country into a state of chaos, with armed gangs now controlling most of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
On Feb. 25, gangs launched a new attack on Haiti’s capital. Mimi Pierre Johnson, a Haitian-born U.S. citizen and president of the Elmont Culture Center, tearfully spoke about the dire conditions in her homeland.
“Children are running through the streets that should be in school . . . ” Pierre Johnson spoke. “We say here in America that we’re pursuing happiness. These people are not pursuing happiness. They’re pursuing a place where they can be safe.”
Johnson criticized the chants of “Send them back” and “End this protection” by opponents as “callous” messages that are just “another layer of trauma that happens to us here as Haitians.”
Solages, the first Assembly representative of Haitian descent to be elected to New York State Legislature, said ending TPS for Haitians would separate a half-million families and would be inhumane and cruel.
“These people are not pursuing happiness. They’re pursuing a place where they can be safe.”
Mimi Pierre Johnson, Haitian-born Elmont Activist
“When you talk about separating families — and separating American kids who are living here from their families — it’s disgusting and that’s not what America is about,” Solages said. “In Elmont, we do not stand for separating families. Here in New York, we do not stand for separating families. If this policy is implemented — and I’m speaking directly to President Trump — we will go after you because you are hurting American citizens, you are hurting New Yorkers, and you are hurting what this country is about, which is the American dream.”
The push for the passing of H.R. 1689 will continue during the coming months. Its fate is uncertain, however, as an anxious nation waits to see how far the Trump administration’s immigration actions will go. Pierre Johnson urged the public to listen to the voices of the Haitian community and to help in any way they can.
“I implore all who can voice their opinions, stand with Congresswoman Gillen. Stand with all of those who want to fight for Haiti,” Pierre Johnson said. “Let’s come together just like our flag in Haiti says: unity. We are strong when we unite,’ and that’s not just for Haiti. That’s also for here too.”
