A Republican lawmaker is moving to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) entirely after 10 GOP members backed Haitian deportation protections.
Republican Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde introduced the Territorial Protection and Sovereignty (TPS) Act, which would eliminate Temporary Protected Status by repealing the program and terminating all existing designations.
🚨 BREAKING: 10 House Republicans just voted to OFFICIALLY PASS legislation shielding 350,000 Haitian migrants from deportation — Democrats erupt in applause
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There is NO reason our “Republicans” should be siding with Democrats against the American people.
This should… pic.twitter.com/zxxpG52G8f
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 16, 2026
The move comes just a week after 10 Republicans, including Maria Salazar of Florida and Mike Lawler of New York, voted in favor of a resolution from Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley to extend protections for Haitian migrants. (RELATED: Ten GOP Reps Join Democrats To Extend Haitian Deportation Protections)
Under Clyde’s legislation, current TPS holders would be required to leave the United States within 60 days of enactment. After that window, they would no longer be considered lawfully present and would become subject to deportation.
Clyde told the Daily Caller that TPS has been misused for decades as a long-term amnesty program rather than a temporary solution, arguing it has been “weaponized and abused” and effectively turned into “permanent amnesty.”
Proud to join a bipartisan effort alongside Rep. Gillen to pushing for an extension for Haitian Temporary Protected Status. We were joined by Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Whip Katherine Clark, and a bipartisan group of our colleagues who are moving forward with a discharge petition to… pic.twitter.com/zcOTVHtpvm
— Congressman Mike Lawler (@RepMikeLawler) April 16, 2026
“Unfortunately, there has never been anything temporary about Temporary Protected Status. TPS has been weaponized and abused for decades, turning a so-called ‘temporary’ protection into permanent amnesty. It’s time for Congress to close this amnesty loophole once and for all by fully repealing TPS and sending all TPS holders out of the country,” Clyde wrote. (RELATED: Trump Admin Ending Deportation Protections For Somali Nationals)
Haitians were first granted TPS by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in January 2010 under the Obama administration, following the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck on January 12 and caused widespread destruction and displacement.
The designation was extended multiple times — in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017, with protections continuing through 2018 — before DHS later announced the program would be terminated, with an effective in July 2019.
Under the Biden administration, DHS issued a new redesignation in May and August 2021, citing ongoing security concerns, political unrest, the assassination of Haiti’s president, a subsequent earthquake, and the impacts of COVID-19. The redesignation also expanded eligibility to include certain more recent arrivals, with protections initially set to run through February 2023.
TPS for Haiti was later extended and redesignated again through the beginning of August 2024, and most recently for an additional 18 months through February 2026, following a July 2024 announcement.
The Georgia lawmaker continued arguing that TPS is wrongly framed as compassionate and economically necessary, when in reality, U.S. policy should prioritize American citizens over what he views as “America Last” immigration programs.
“Proponents of TPS claim the designation is both compassionate and essential to our economy. In reality, America is not a charity or an international economic zone. Our entire focus must be on the safety, prosperity, and futures of American citizens, which is why shutting down America Last immigration policies like TPS is critically important.”
The push to extend Haitian TPS comes just a week after a group of Republicans — many of whom supported the extension — also attempted to revive the DIGNIDAD (Dignity Act), a proposal critics have labeled a mass amnesty plan. (RELATED: Maria Salazar And Brandon Gill Throw Down Over Amnesty Bill)
Supporters, however, say the legislation is a broader immigration reform package aimed at strengthening border security, overhauling the asylum system, providing a legal pathway for certain long-term undocumented immigrants, protecting American workers, and boosting U.S. economic competitiveness.
The final vote on the TPS measure also came days after DHS reported that a Haitian immigrant, Rolbert Joachin, allegedly killed a woman at a Fort Myers gas station on April 3 by repeatedly striking her in the head with a hammer, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement worked with local law enforcement to locate and arrest him following the incident.
The vote also comes just before the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Trump v. Miot and the related Mullin v. Doe case on April 29.
In late 2025, the Trump administration moved to end Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status, which would have impacted about 350,000 people. A federal judge in Washington, D.C. blocked the move in February 2026, and an appeals court upheld that decision.
For now, the protections remain in place — meaning Haitian TPS holders can continue living and working in the U.S. until the Supreme Court issues a ruling.
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