Florida must not abandon its Haitian neighbors

Somewhere in North Miami tonight, a certified nursing assistant is finishing a double shift at an assisted living facility before driving home to her two children who have never known any country but this one. She owns her modest home. She pays her taxes. And today, the federal government says she no longer has the right to stay.

She is not alone. Florida is home to the nation’s largest Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) population. Tens of thousands work in jobs our state desperately needs filled — as nurses, caregivers, construction workers, hospitality employees, entrepreneurs and business owners. Together, they contribute billions of dollars annually to Florida’s economy. In South Florida’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities, employers are already warning that losing these workers will directly affect patient care.

This is not an abstract immigration debate. It is about Little Haiti, Broward County, Palm Beach County, Lehigh Acres, Immokalee and communities across Florida where Haitian families have become indispensable neighbors, workers, taxpayers and homeowners. It’s about all of us across Florida.

Many Haitian TPS holders have lived here for years, purchased homes, raised American-born children, and built their lives around the promise that if they followed the law and worked hard, they would have the opportunity to contribute to this country.

Meanwhile, Haiti has descended further into chaos. Armed gangs control most of Port-au-Prince, the largest city. The State Department maintains its highest-level “do not travel” advisory, and American commercial airlines remain unable to safely resume regular service after aircraft came under gunfire. If it is too dangerous for American planes to land there safely, it is difficult to argue that families should be forced to return there.

Here’s the most important part. Ending Haiti’s TPS designation is not inevitable. It is a policy choice. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling did not require the administration to terminate TPS; it simply held that courts could not review that decision. Congress still has the authority to act, and it should.

That effort has already begun — and it has not been purely partisan.

The House passed bipartisan legislation extending Haiti’s TPS designation through 2029, with 10 Republicans joining Democrats. Three were South Floridians: Reps. María Elvira Salazar, Carlos Giménez and Mario Díaz-Balart.

Sadly, one of my opponents for Florida governor, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, joined the long list of Republicans voting against extending Haiti’s TPS designation. The bill awaits action in the Senate. Florida’s senators, Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, should demand action and support its passage.

The moral and economic truth here is simple. Florida cannot afford to lose thousands of essential workers overnight, nor should we ask law-abiding families to return to conditions our own government considers extraordinarily dangerous. Extending TPS while Haiti remains unsafe is the responsible course for Florida’s economy, our communities and our values.

This should not be a partisan issue. Every candidate running for governor of Florida — including Donalds and myself — should be asked directly what happens to the tens of thousands of Haitian families across this state if this protection disappears.

I know where I stand. I hope Donalds will reconsider where he stands.

This is bigger than politics. It is about whether Florida keeps faith with people who have kept faith with Florida. The Haitian community has cared for our elderly, strengthened our businesses, raised American children, paid taxes, bought homes and obeyed the law. They have honored their commitment to this state. Florida’s leaders should now honor theirs.

David Jolly, a former congressman from St. Petersburg, is a Democratic candidate for governor of Florida in 2026.