Rep. Gillen, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Host Roundtable with Nassau Haitian Community Leaders Ahead of House Vote on Gillen Bill Extending TPS

ELMONT, NY - Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) hosted a roundtable with Nassau County Haitian American community leaders to discuss the ongoing fight to extend TPS for hardworking, law-abiding Haitians on Long Island and across the country. The roundtable came ahead of a vote in the House of Representatives on Rep. Gillen's bipartisan bill extending TPS for Haitians for three years, through a discharge petition.

"The current Administration has continuously threatened our Haitian neighbors' lives by attempting to end their TPS status," said Rep. Gillen. "But I'm thrilled to share that my legislation extending TPS for Haitians for three years has received the bipartisan support needed to force a vote in the House this week. I'm proud to have introduced this extension as my first bill in Congress, and I am now working to find a Senate partner. This is an important milestone in safeguarding hardworking, taxpaying, law-abiding members of our communities who came to the U.S. seeking safety. Ending this protected status is tantamount to a death sentence for Haitian families who would be sent back to Haiti."

"In the House of Representatives, it's almost impossible to bring a bill to the Floor in the minority. Rep. Laura Gillen promised that she was going to be a forceful advocate to get stuff done, even with us in the minority, over the objection of both Donald Trump and Mike Johnson," said Leader Jeffries. "I'm appreciative of Congresswoman Gillen, in partnership with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, for finding a way, joined by every single Democrat in the House and four Republicans, to force an up-or-down vote on extending Temporary Protected Status for Haiti. House Democrats are fighting on multiple fronts on behalf of our Haitian brothers and sisters and I'm confident that we're going to get something done to restore and extend TPS protections."

"Congress has an opportunity with this upcoming vote on upholding Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals to stop a humanitarian crisis of unthinkable proportions in its tracks. Sending people back to Haiti in its current conditions would be a profound failure of justice. We are met with a tremendous responsibility to our Haitian friends and neighbors to ensure this nightmare of living in uncertainty comes to an end. As a Haitian-American and a fellow legislator, I stand with my colleagues in Congress to urge the immediate passage of this legislation and I pledge to continue to stand against bullies and tyrants on behalf of the marginalized," said Assemblymember Michaelle Solages.

Thank you for advocating for the Haitian community," said Claire Leon, Community Activist, SEIU1199 member. "You kept your promise that you were going to fight for us. Haiti is not safe for those who hope to go back, so let's fight to keep them safe."

"As an organizer, it is a privilege to listen to people talk about what they are going through today, as they are simply trying to survive. Immigrants who are doing all the right things to maintain their immigration status, like TPS, it is a nightmare and a scary time. For some Haitians, going back to Haiti is a death sentence. We must continue to fight for our immigrant neighbors," Mimi Pierre Johnson, Founder & CEO of the Elmont Cultural Center, Elmont Civic Leader.

Since taking office, Rep. Gillen has been a leading advocate in Congress for safeguarding TPS for Haitians. In February 2025, she introduced a bipartisan bill directing the Department of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for TPS for 18 months beginning August 3, 2025. In June, following the Administration's abrupt decision to terminate critical humanitarian parole for Haitian citizens, Rep. Gillen urged Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to reinstate the program. In September, she helped pass a bill to crack down on criminal gangs and corrupt officials who are fueling the crisis in Haiti. Later that month, she signed onto an amicus brief challenging the Administration's unlawful termination of Haiti's TPS designation.

In January 2026, Rep. Gillen joined a bipartisan letter to the Administration urging an extension of TPS for Haitian nationals before the February 3rd expiration. She later celebrated the federal court decision preserving TPS for Haitians the day before its expiration. She also held multiple meetings with White House officials to advocate for continued protections for Haitian families residing lawfully in the United States.

Last month, Rep. Gillen secured the bipartisan support needed on her discharge petition to pass her bill extending TPS for Haitian by three years.

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