U.S. Senate rejects extension of Haitian TPS as advocates rally in Boston

Immigrant advocates gathered at Boston City Hall Plaza on July 23, urging Congress to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians before the program’s scheduled expiration. They warned that ending TPS would separate families, exacerbate labor shortages and expose roughly 350,000 Haitian TPS holders – many of whom work in health care and other essential sectors – to deportation. "Asking somebody to close up their life that they built over a decade … is beyond incomprehensible to me," said Regine Theodat, a Boston advocate.

Meanwhile, on the Senate floor Republicans blocked a bipartisan effort to extend Haitian TPS. Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt denied a unanimous consent request, arguing that “America is not a global refugee camp.” The defeat comes after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end the program, and after a House bill supported by Democrats and a handful of Republicans had passed earlier in the year. Miami‑Dade officials warned that ending TPS would put 350,000 Haitians at risk of detention and deportation, noting that TPS recipients contribute about $5.8 billion to the U.S. economy and pay roughly $1.5 billion in taxes.