Congress Must Pass Permanent Protections for Haitian Communities
What Congress Did for Liberians, It Must Do for Haitians
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) participated in a press conference hosted by Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) in Washington, D.C., to denounce the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitians living in the United States.
While today’s press conference underscored the urgency of extending TPS, BAJI is clear: temporary solutions are not enough. Congress must pass legislation that provides Haitians with permanent immigration protections—modeled after the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act.
The termination of TPS is an act of policy violence. It places Haitian families—many of whom have lived in the U.S. for over 15 years—at risk of deportation to a country facing extreme violence, political instability, and a full-scale humanitarian crisis. In Massachusetts alone, more than 15,000 Haitian TPS holders are now living with fear and uncertainty about their futures.
These are parents, workers, caregivers, and faith leaders. They have raised families, started businesses, and contributed deeply to their communities. Many work in essential sectors such as healthcare and elder care. Ending TPS threatens not only Haitian families, but the stability of the communities and systems that rely on them.
A Proven Solution: The Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act
Congress has already demonstrated that permanent solutions are possible. The 2019 Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (LRIF) allowed long-term Liberian residents in the U.S. to apply for lawful permanent residency after years of living here under temporary protections. LRIF recognized a basic truth: people who have built lives here and cannot safely return home deserve stability and dignity.
A Haitian version of LRIF would:
Provide a pathway to green cards for long-term Haitian residents
Keep families together and prevent mass deportations
Protect workers in critical industries like healthcare and elder care
Reflect the reality that Haiti is not safe for return
This is the kind of permanent, humane solution Haitian communities need and deserve.
Standing With Haitian Communities
BAJI strongly supports Rep. Pressley’s introduction of a discharge petition to force a House vote on extending TPS for Haiti, as well as litigation seeking to block the termination of TPS. We also applaud the recent field hearing in Boston, held with Rep. Ed Markey (MA-05), which centered the voices of Haitian families most directly impacted by these harmful policies.
But extensions alone are not enough. Congress must act now to pass a Haitian LRIF-style bill that provides permanent protection and real security.
Haitian lives are not expendable. Their families, labor, and contributions matter. BAJI will continue to fight in Congress, in the courts, and in the community until Haitian families are protected and justice is delivered.
About BAJI:
BAJI fights for the rights of Black migrants and African Americans through organizing, legal advocacy, research, policy, and narrative building to improve the conditions of Black communities by advancing racial justice and migrant rights. More at baji.org.