Markey, Blunt Rochester, Warren, Coons Call on Senate Leaders to Schedule Vote Extending Haiti TPS Protections

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (August 27, 2026) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) today wrote to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging them to schedule a vote on H.R. 1689, a bill to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows nationals from designated countries facing life-threatening conditions to temporarily live and work legally in the United States. The Senators and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) have been fighting to preserve TPS protections for more than 300,000 Haitian nationals. The House legislation passed the House of Representatives in April but was blocked by Republicans in the Senate when Senators Markey and Blunt Rochester forced a vote on the bill last month.

In Haiti, political instability, widespread violence, and a serious humanitarian emergency have cut off access to hospitals, schools, and basic services. Violent armed groups now exert control over much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, restricting movement and forcing more than five million people into food insecurity. Concurrently, disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods have devastated communities already struggling to survive. Together, these forces have shattered peace and stability for millions.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, "TPS holders are our friends, our neighbors, and our colleagues. In cities and towns across Massachusetts and Delaware, Haitian TPS holders have lived, worked, and been valuable members of our communities for years. They deserve the stability of preserving their status, the dignity to live without fear, and the security of not being returned to danger. We strongly urge you to lead on this issue by bringing H.R. 1689 to the floor without delay when the Senate reconvenes."

Senator Markey has worked consistently to protect TPS for Haiti and support the Haitian community in Massachusetts amid the Trump administration's attacks on TPS and Haitians.

• On August 6, Senator Markey released a statement blasting a lower court's confirmation of the end of Haiti TPS.
• On June 25, after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration's termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria in the consolidated case, Mullin v. Doe, Senator Markey, alongside Representatives Pressley, Katherine Clark (MA-05), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) held a press conference outside the Court denouncing the decision.
• In April 2026, Senator Markey, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, and Congresswoman Pressley led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration's unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria TPS.
• In September 2025, Senator Markey led an amicus brief in Miot v. Trump, the companion case to Mullin v. Doe, when the case was before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In February 2026, Senator Markey applauded the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia's decision to pause the Trump administration's termination of TPS for Haiti, which was set to expire on February 3.
• In March, Senator Markey welcomed the D.C. Circuit's ruling blocking the Trump administration from immediately terminating TPS for Haiti.
• In January, Senator Markey and Rep. Pressley held a field hearing at Jubilee Christian Church in Mattapan to highlight the importance of extending TPS for Haiti. The lawmakers heard from panels of individuals, advocates, and community leaders impacted by the Trump administration's decision to end Haiti TPS.

###

• Print
• Email
• Like
• Tweet