House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in Elmont backing bipartisan bill extending TPS to Haitians in U.S.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Long Island Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen met on Monday with a handful of Haitian American leaders in Elmont to talk about a bipartisan effort that would allow roughly 350,000 Haitian nationals to keep their protected immigration status in the U.S.

Gillen’s push to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haiti until 2029 could receive a House vote this week after four Republicans crossed party lines to side with Democrats on a discharge petition that shows most of the House supports her bill. The petition can be put to a vote bypassing House Republican leaders.

Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) said Haitian nationals who receive protection are "part of the fabric of our communities now" and sending them back would be "tantamount to a death sentence.

"They came through the front door. There were thoroughly vetted, criminal background checks. They're here now. They're contributing to our economy. They're paying taxes, they're performing services, many in health care, that are really helpful to our community," she said.

Inside the meeting at Le Spot Cafe, Jeffries told community members the loss of TPS would be devastating from an "economic standpoint and a humanitarian standpoint"

"We’ll continue to fight this battle but recognize the need on the horizon for a more comprehensive resolution," he said.

The legislative effort comes after the Department of Homeland Security moved earlier this year to discontinue the Caribbean country’s TPS, which is used to help immigrants from certain countries who can’t return home due to factors such as violence, environmental catastrophe or civil strife. 

The original order was to take effect Feb. 3 but federal courts have, for now, stayed that move and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear a case this month on the Trump administration’s justifications to end TPS for Haiti and Syria.

"This decision restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that Temporary Protective Status is actually temporary," a DHS spokesperson said in a 2025 statement. "The environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home."

But Gillen and others have pointed out that gang violence has uprooted 1.3 million residents of the country and killed more than 2,600 people.

On Long Island, where nearly 40,000 people of Haitian descent call home, the fate of TPS is personal and linked to the economic prosperity of many of their communities, advocates say.

Assemb. Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont) said she hears from Haitian members of the community who are fearful about the future of TPS.

"They cannot return back to Haiti but on the flip side they are here adding to our economy, adding to our communities," she said.

Valley Stream resident and community activist Claire Leon said the potential end of TPS for Haiti would be a significant economic loss for the region.

"They pay rent. They pay housing. They pay insurance. They have kids in school. Some of them have" businesses, she said.

"We need them," she later added, “ and then they need us."

Newsday's Billy House contributed to this story.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.