ICYMI – Rep. Bera in The Sacramento Bee: Ending TPS now would endanger lives and undermine Haiti’s fragile recovery
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA — U.S. Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) published an op-ed in The Sacramento Bee and the Miami Herald following his participation in the first Congressional Delegation to Haiti since 2019. Drawing on what he witnessed firsthand, Bera argues that deporting Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders under current conditions would further destabilize the country, urges the Senate to take up bipartisan House-passed legislation extending TPS through January 2029, and calls on the Trump administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti.
You can read the full op-ed here and below:
This week, I was part of the first congressional delegation to visit Haiti since 2019. What I saw was a country confronting a complex crisis and extraordinary hardship.
On the ground, I met with international forces trying to regain ground in Port-au-Prince, where gangs control an estimated 70% of the capital, as well as Haitian officials working to strengthen security, expand economic opportunity and restore democratic rule.
Across my conversations, I repeatedly heard the same warning: Returning Haitian Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, holders to a country that is not yet prepared to safely receive them will further worsen a situation already proving near impossible to manage.
Haiti is at a pivotal moment. While the Haitian government reconstitutes its armed forces, a new United Nations-authorized Gang Suppression Force is undertaking the difficult work of helping Haitian security forces take back territory from heavily armed gangs.
These efforts offer a narrow but meaningful opportunity to restore stability after years of political, security and humanitarian crises.
Last November, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice stating that “the Secretary has determined that there are no extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti that prevent Haitian nationals from returning in safety.”
Having now witnessed the conditions in Haiti firsthand, I can say that this determination was not grounded in fact. The reality on the ground — widespread violence, mass displacement, acute hunger and the collapse of essential services — are exactly the conditions that TPS was created for.
On Monday, the Trump administration officially terminated TPS for Haitians living in the United States. Approximately 350,000 Haitians have lost their legal protections and work authorization and face removal to a country still paralyzed by gang violence, mass displacement, political instability and limited access to essential services.
Haitian TPS holders came here through a legal humanitarian program. They undergo background checks, hold work permits, pay taxes and contribute to communities across our country.
Offering them protection under Haiti’s present-day conditions is consistent with our nation’s values. Returning them would impose a severe new burden on Haiti and could endanger their lives.
There are currently just as many Haitians internally displaced now as there were after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Hospitals, schools and essential infrastructure have been attacked or forced to close. With the Haitian government already struggling to provide housing, employment, security or basic services, receiving thousands of people would overwhelm Haiti’s fragile institutions, further strain resources and leave more people vulnerable to exploitation and gang recruitment.
Haiti should be able to draw upon the talent, experience and expertise of its diaspora — including Haitian professionals in health care, education and other critical sectors. Sending people back under current conditions could prevent them from contributing to Haiti’s recovery.
The United States cannot credibly invest in restoring security in Haiti while pursuing an immigration policy that would make the country less stable.
In April, the House of Representatives took bipartisan action by passing legislation to extend TPS for Haiti through January 2029. The Senate must move quickly to pass it. Extending TPS would protect Haitian families and give Haiti’s security and governing institutions time to make measurable progress.
Unlike the administration’s decision to force Haitian TPS holders to return without regard to conditions on the ground, any returns should be tied to measurable security and humanitarian improvements. Officials must assess whether receiving communities have adequate housing, employment, healthcare and security.
Haiti’s future must ultimately be led and built by the Haitian people. America’s role should be to give them the space and support to succeed, not to make an extraordinarily difficult task even harder.
Extending TPS now is both the humane choice and the strategically responsible one. The Senate must act to preserve these protections, and the administration must immediately halt deportations to Haiti.
Representative Ami Bera, M.D., has represented Sacramento County in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. He serves as a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.