House passes Gillen's bill to reinstate protected status for Haitians

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Thursday approved a bill sponsored by Long Island Democrat Laura Gillen to reject part of President Donald Trump's immigration policy and reinstate protected status for nearly 350,000 Haitian nationals living in the United States.

The bill was the first measure introduced by freshman Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) upon her arrival in Washington last year as a minority party member — and now is her first that has passed.

But prospects for approval in the Senate, which like the House is controlled by Republicans, remain uncertain. 

Thursday’s House passage on a 224-204 vote used an insurgent parliamentary maneuver to force a vote over opposition from the chamber’s Republican leaders — who on behalf of Trump have been attempting to end the program for Haitians and initiate deportations.

The procedural effort, led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, involved the collection of enough House member signatures from both parties on a "discharge petition" to trigger a floor action.

Temporary Protected Status is designed to address situations in which returning people to their home countries would put them in jeopardy of ongoing violence, humanitarian crises or environmental disaster.

But the Department of Homeland Security last year announced the termination of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status, effective Feb. 3, 2026, citing what it said were improved conditions in the Caribbean country. Federal courts temporarily blocked the move before it could take effect, but Trump administration arguments before the Supreme Court are expected later this month.

Gillen, in remarks at a news conference Wednesday with other lawmakers, including Rep. MIke Lawler (R-Pearl River), an original co-sponsor of the bill, said the situation in Haiti is volatile and declining, not improved. Forcing Haitians in the United States to return there now would be, in Gillen’s words, "cruel" and "a human catastrophe."

She also noted Long Island and New York State are home to one of the largest Haitian American populations in the country, and that "many have come here and built thriving local businesses that enrich our economy."