Industry advocates urge provider action as they continue to lobby policymakers on TPS for workers from Haiti
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LeadingAge is encouraging all aging services stakeholders to contact their senators and urge them to pass a bill requesting the US Department of Homeland Security to redesignate Haiti for temporary protected status and extend that protection through January 2029.
Sens. Edward Markey (D‑MA) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D‑DE), along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 16 additional colleagues, introduced the legislation June 17. The House of Representatives passed companion legislation in April.
Meanwhile, other associations also are calling for federal action.
No guarantees
The call to action follows an extension until July 24 of TPS for Haitian immigrants by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which senior living and care advocacy groups note comes with no guarantee of permanency.
USCIS announced the extension Friday.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have any evidence to suggest that this would lead to a permanent extension,” Jeanne McGlynn Delgado, vice president of government affairs at American Seniors Housing Association, told the McKnight’s Business Daily on Monday.
An Argentum spokesperson echoed the sentiment.
“While this provides short-term certainty for workers, employers and the older adults they serve, we do not view it as a permanent solution,” a spokesperson for Argentum told the McKnight’s Business Daily on Monday. “Senior living providers continue to face significant staffing challenges, and many communities rely on foreign-born workers, including TPS beneficiaries, to deliver quality care and services. We call on policymakers to enact a long-term solution to support both caregivers and the seniors who depend on them.”
The American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living also said it would carry on with its efforts with policymakers on the issue.
“Each day with these caretakers is critical as they continue to provide essential care to our nation’s seniors and individuals with disabilities. We will continue to encourage policymakers to consider the incredible impact these dedicated, international caregivers have on long-term care and the residents they serve,” Dana Ritchie, AHCA / NCAL associate vice president of workforce and constituency services, told the McKnight’s Business Daily.
Second recent extension
The US Supreme Court last month upheld the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke humanitarian protections for approximately 350,000 Haitian immigrants, ruling that federal courts do not have the authority to weigh in on the administration’s judgment.
“The extension remains contingent on the lower courts implementing the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe,” LeadingAge said in a statement Friday.
The latest USCIS guidance supersedes the SAVE Termination of TPS for Haiti message it posted July 1. The Friday update to the July 10 placeholder expiration date was the second short-term extension since the Supreme Court decision.