The House of Representatives on April 16 passed legislation that would temporarily extend temporary protected status for certain Haitian immigrants in a vote of 220–207. 

Temporary Protected Status allows individuals from nations involved in armed conflict, natural disaster, or other serious events to stay in the United States temporarily. The Trump administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have moved to end the status for around a dozen nations, noting it was designed to be temporary.

The legislation could face an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republicans may not advance it.

It requires the administration to extend the Temporary Protected Status for Haitians by three years, allowing hundreds of thousands of qualifying immigrants to stay in the United States. 

House Democrats, along with a few Republicans, pushed the bill forward, amid objections from the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

The administration is attempting to end the status for nationals of Haiti, Venezuela, and Syria, among others. 

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) criticized Trump’s attempt to end the protected status as “cruel, unlawful, and life-threatening,” saying that deporting people back to Haiti would a “death sentence.”

“This is common-sense policy that will save lives,” she said during Wednesday’s floor debate. “Congress can help. Congress can do the right thing.”

On April 9, Trump addressed the issue in a post on Truth Social, saying that the protected status system was a “massively abused and fraudulent program.”

He said the previous administration allowed “Tens of MILLIONS of Criminals, Lunatics, and the Mentally Insane from all over the World to pour into our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked through our wide Open Borders.”

“We are rapidly trying to reverse this decline through Deportations, but if the Democrats are ever given another chance at power, they will immediately REOPEN the Border, and allow America to once again be a Safe Haven for Criminals,” Trump wrote.

He also made reference to a case from Florida where DHS announced that a Haitian illegal immigrant accused of killing a woman outside a gas station last week was arrested and will face deportation.

The suspect allegedly smashed the victim’s car windshield and used a hammer to bludgeon her to death on April 3. 

“Please say a prayer for this innocent woman’s family. We will ensure quick and severe justice is served in this case,” the president wrote.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on April 29 on the issue of temporary protected status for Haitians and Syrians after lower courts blocked the administration’s move to end the status.

The Obama administration offered temporary protected status to Haitians more than 15 years ago after the country was devastated by an earthquake. The protection has been extended multiple times since then.

In November 2025, DHS said there were “no extraordinary and temporary conditions” that would prevent Haitians covered by the temporary program from returning to their nation. 

Aldgra Fredly and Matthew Vadum contributed to this report.