A coalition of Republicans joined Democrats in the House of Representatives on April 16, 2026, to advance legislation extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, underscoring a growing consensus that Haitian families—and the U.S. communities that rely on their work—need stability.

The bill, brought to the floor via discharge petition, would extend Haiti TPS for three years, allowing eligible Haitian nationals already living in the United States to continue working legally and remain protected from deportation as Haiti faces ongoing instability and humanitarian strain. Supporters argue the extension is both a moral imperative and a practical response to workforce shortages, particularly in health care and direct care roles where many Haitian TPS holders are employed.

As efforts to diminish or eliminate TPS over the past year have intensified, LeadingAge has pushed to protect it, citing the importance of a stable long-term care workforce. “Foreign-born workers have long been essential to the nation’s aging services sector, and the termination of Haitian TPS is one of many recent immigration policy changes that are exacerbating the aging services sector’s well-documented and increasing workforce needs,” said LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan earlier this week. “We need immigration policies that strengthen, rather than destabilize, the caregiving workforce older adults and families depend on.”

The measure passed with key Republican “yes” votes from Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez (all of Florida), and others including Rep. Rich McCormick (GA), Rep. Don Bacon (NE), Rep. Mike Lawler (NY), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY), Rep. Mike Carey (OH), Rep. Mike Turner (OH), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), and Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA).

The bill, HR 1689, was introduced by Reps. Laura Gillen (D-NY) and Rep. Lawler. “Haitians in my district are healthcare workers, small business owners, and faith leaders. They are an integral part of our community. That is why I worked to introduce this bill, led letters to the Administration about working towards a solution, and ultimately signed a discharge petition to bring this bill to the floor for consideration,” Rep. Lawler said in a statement after the House vote.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where supporters are urging swift action to keep work authorization and protections in place.