Schumer urges Senate Republicans to ‘stand up to Trump,’ protect Haitian TPS

Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer (D-NY) said Haitians are “a critical part of our economy, culture and society.

“The Haitian community is woven into the fabric of our great American family, but Donald Trump is trying to tear it apart by terminating Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status,” he said. “As someone who takes great pride in representing the state that is home to the largest Haitian population in the country, I know just how important the Haitian community is to the American economy, to culture, to society.

“But, unfortunately, Donald Trump clearly doesn’t,” Schumer added. “Trump has vilified Haitians with his bigoted attacks and stereotypes over and over again. Now, Trump is trying to force Haitians who are here legally to return to the dangerous conditions they fled in Haiti.

“Let’s be clear: revoking Haitians’ Temporary Protected Status will not only hurt them — it hurts our entire country,” he continued. “In New York, you can’t go into a hospital, nursing home, or clinic without seeing scores of dedicated health care professionals who are fiercely proud of their Haitian heritage. That’s true in cities and towns throughout the country.”

Schumer said he had heard warnings that if Trump expels Haitian TPS holders, it will strain the US health system and create a gap in the caregiving workforce that will be difficult to fill.

“These people are our friends, they’re our neighbors,” he said. “They take care of the elderly and people with disabilities. They are entrepreneurs and small business owners. They work hard. They pay taxes.

“And let’s not forget that Haitian TPS holders add nearly US$6 billion to the US economy each year,” Schumer added. “Ending TPS doesn’t fix our broken immigration system — it only makes things worse. It’s cruel, it’s counterproductive.”

Additionally, the Senate Democratic Leader said that “sending 300,000 people to Haiti with little to no support will further destabilize an already severe humanitarian and security crisis on our country’s doorstep.

“I urge all my colleagues to support our legislation and preserve Haitians’ TPS Status,” he said. “I’ll keep fighting for Haitian Americans in New York and beyond — anytime, anyplace.”

The San Diego, CA-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) also said it was “an S.O.S. moment for the Haitian community.”

“As our community faces widespread uncertainty and fear, we urgently need your help,” said HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef, noting that, on June 25 the US Supreme Court agreed with US President Donald J. Trump in allowing the termination TPS for Haiti to proceed, “placing approximately 350,000 Haitian TPS holders at risk of losing their work authorization, protection from deportation, and the lives they have built in the United States.

“And while the United States government is in the process of carrying out the largest deportation effort in US history, the Haitian community will bear the brunt of this cruel and economically unsound decision,” she told Caribbean Life.

She said that, for years, HBA has fought to protect and expand TPS by working alongside affected communities and elected officials, joining national litigation and leading advocacy efforts in the US Congress.

With the official end of TPS now just a day away, Jozef said HBA is “continuing to fight until the very last day, and we will not stop advocating for the safety and protection of Haitian immigrants.

“We are fighting on every front,” she said. “Every day, more families are turning to HBA after losing jobs, income, and the security they once relied on. They need help with food, rent, transportation, legal representation, and emergency plans to protect their children.

“Our team is responding with humanitarian assistance, legal support, and trusted guidance, but the number of people seeking help is growing far faster than our current capacity,” Jozef added. “These are essential workers, caregivers, and heads of household who contribute billions of dollars to the US economy and support communities across the country.

“Now, they face the cruelty of detention, the danger of ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) kidnappings, family separation and deportation, gutting everything they built and worked for,” he continued. “Many have already started to be deported to Haiti, a country the US Government itself recognizes as dangerously unsafe, and unstable, and whose ongoing crisis has been shaped in part by decades of US policy and intervention.”

With support, Jozef said HBA is “committed to expanding our legal and emergency-response capacity, keeping families informed and prepared, providing essential needs, and ensuring that members of our community do not face this crisis alone.

“Together, we can stand on the right side of history, and address this painful reality through meaningful action,” she said. “This is not only an immigration issue. It is a question of family, dignity, justice, and who we choose to be as a nation.”

“This is a call to action,” Jozef added. “Please stand with the Haitian Bridge Alliance.”