NYC council member urges Congress to restore TPS for Haitians
New York City Council Member Farah Louis is calling on Congress to restore Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, citing worsening violence and humanitarian conditions in Haiti and the potential impact of ending the protections on thousands of Haitian families in New York.
Louis, who is the first Haitian and Bahamian American Council Member in New York City history, is introducing a New York City Council resolution urging the U.S. Senate to pass S.4814 and the president to sign the measure into law. The federal legislation would require the secretary of homeland security to designate Haiti for TPS.
The push comes as Haiti continues to grapple with widespread gang violence, political instability, displacement, food insecurity and a broader humanitarian crisis. According to 2026 United Nations figures cited in the resolution, nearly 1.47 million people have been displaced by violence, while 5.8 million face food insecurity.
TPS allows eligible nationals of designated countries to remain in the United States and obtain authorization to work when conditions in their home countries make their safe return impossible.
Haiti was first designated for TPS following the devastating 2010 earthquake, which killed an estimated 220,000 people, injured more than 300,000 and left approximately 1.5 million homeless.
Louis said ending the protections would have significant consequences for New York, which is home to one of the largest Haitian immigrant communities in the United States. An estimated 350,000 Haitian nationals have held TPS nationwide, including about 40,000 in New York.
“Haiti is facing a profound humanitarian and security crisis, and sending Haitian families back into these conditions is unconscionable,” Louis said. “Haitian New Yorkers are our neighbors, our workers, our business owners, our parents, and our community leaders. They have built lives and contributed to the fabric of this city, and they deserve the opportunity to continue doing so safely and legally. New York City must stand with our Haitian community, and we must use every level of government to demand that TPS protections are restored.”
The resolution comes after the Department of Homeland Security announced in June 2025 that it would terminate Haiti’s TPS designation. Haitian nationals challenged the decision in federal court, temporarily preserving the protections.
However, on June 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed lower-court orders that had postponed the termination, allowing the federal government to end Haiti’s TPS designation.
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer of New York has also called for the protections to continue, arguing that Haitian TPS holders contribute significantly to the U.S. economy.
“The Trump administration’s decision to cancel Temporary Protected Status for Haitians is cruel and counterproductive, especially as Haiti remains unstable and unsafe,” Schumer said. “Haitians living in the United States under TPS are legally working, paying taxes, and greatly boosting the state economy to the tune of $1.1 billion per year. I’m grateful to Council Member Farah Louis for her leadership in supporting my legislation to restore TPS for Haitians, and I urge Senate Republicans to join me in passing this bill ASAP.”
S.4814, introduced by Sen. Edward Markey, would require the homeland security secretary to designate Haiti for TPS through three months after Jan. 20, 2029.
Its House companion, H.R. 1689, introduced by Rep. Laura Gillen, passed the House on April 16, 2026.
If enacted, the legislation would preserve protection from removal and employment authorization for qualifying Haitian nationals. Louis’ resolution calls on the Senate to approve S.4814 and the president to sign it into law, restoring protections for eligible Haitians in New York and across the United States.