Lawler calls for Haiti TPS extension, saying ending protections will ‘create a crisis’

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) on Thursday called for temporary legal protections for thousands of Haitian immigrants, warning that the Supreme Court’s ruling to end protections will “create a crisis.”

The high court ruled 6-3 that the Trump administration can remove thousands of Haitians and Syrians from temporary protected status (TPS), a program that guarantees that citizens of designated countries are protected from deportation and are given a pathway to work authorization.

“I’m asking the administration to allow for an orderly process by which Haitian TPS holders can maintain their work authorization while their immigration cases are adjudicated over the next six months, if the revocation of TPS moves forward,” Lawler wrote on the social platform X.

Lawler said that while he “never disputed” President Trump’s ability to end TPS, he disagreed with ending the Haitian TPS designation. He said that conditions in Haiti are “a humanitarian and political disaster” and continue to “warrant an extension.” He added that the U.S. first wants to root out the sources of violence, including gun and drug trafficking, in the island nation in order to improve conditions.

“Of the 350,000+ lawful Haitian TPS holders, roughly one-third work in our healthcare system,” he continued. “Immediately shutting off TPS will create a crisis in our hospitals, nursing homes, and in the I/DD [intellectual and developmental disabilities] community.”

The New York Republican concluded his post saying the Senate should pass his bipartisan bill with Rep. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) to extend TPS for Haitian recipients “to address these issues.” The House passed the bill 224-204 with the support of 10 Republicans in April.

In a statement, Gillen called the court’s ruling a “cruel and harmful decision … [that] now puts millions of our friends and neighbors’ lives at risk.”

“I have stood shoulder to shoulder with our Haitian community on Long Island throughout this fight, pushed back against the administration, and fought this termination in the courts,” she said. “I will not relent in securing their safety.”

Lawler’s district is home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the U.S. In April, he said the district’s Haitian community plays “a critical role in our local economy and the vibrant culture of the Hudson Valley.”

However, Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), the chair of the Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, said in April that the bill to extend protections for Haitians was “dead on arrival” and echoed the Department of Homeland Security’s argument that TPS should be temporary and not “last for years.”

TPS was created in 1990 as a means to keep foreign nationals safe if they are unable to return to their home countries because of armed conflict, natural disaster or other extraordinary conditions. The program prevents deportation.

Trump has focused on the program as part of the broader crackdown on immigration during his second term. His administration has sought to terminate TPS for 13 of 17 designated countries, arguing that these countries no longer meet the criteria.