The House of Representatives has passed a resolution to extend temporary protected status for 330,000 Haitian immigrants in the United States, after the Trump administration canceled the program. Ten Republicans joined House Democrats in Thursday’s 224-204 vote. The bill was sponsored by Massachusetts Democrat Ayanna Pressley. Ahead of Thursday’s vote, she told the story of Rebecca, a Haitian immigrant who moved to Massachusetts after the devastating earthquake in 2010 resulted in the deaths of an estimated 220,000 people, in what was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley: “She witnessed the rise in gangs and saw her beautiful country overtaken by political violence and instability. After surviving multiple kidnapping attempts, out of desperation, Rebecca made the same decision that any of us would make in her position: She immigrated to the United States. She quickly enrolled in school to learn English. She obtained a job to support herself and her family. Now in 2026, thanks to her legal status under TPS, Rebecca is a certified nursing assistant.”

A Senate version of the bill extending TPS for Haitians faces an uphill battle, and the White House has promised to veto any such legislation. President Trump has repeatedly used racist rhetoric to lash out against Haitians. During the 2024 campaign, he amplified the unfounded lie that Haitians were eating household pets in Springfield, Ohio.