The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision has cleared the way for the Department of Homeland Security to end temporary protected status for 350,000 Haitians across the country. Within hours of the ruling, Rep. Frederica Wilson of Miami-Dade responded by introducing the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act in the House. The bill would create a pathway to green cards for eligible Haitian nationals who have lived in the United States since June 26, 2024, as well as their family members.
Florida will experience the effects of this decision more than any other state. According to the National Immigration Forum, approximately 404,000 TPS holders currently live in Florida, significantly more than Texas with roughly 147,000.
The Migration Policy Institute reports that nearly half of all Haitians in the United States, about 49 percent, live in Florida. The Supreme Court's ruling affects Haitians who have been living legally in the country for years, many of whom registered, paid required fees, worked, paid taxes, and established roots in their communities.
Wilson, who has represented Miami-Dade for more than four decades, called the Supreme Court decision heartbreaking but emphasized that Congress retains the power to protect these families. She stated that her bill would move Haitian families from uncertainty to stability, and that TPS was never meant to become a lifetime of uncertainty. Her bill already has support from other Florida Democrats, including Reps. Maxwell Frost of Orlando and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Broward County, who became original co-sponsors. In April, the House previously passed a separate bill to extend TPS for Haitians through a discharge petition, which received support from 10 Republicans including South Florida representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez, and Maria Elvira Salazar.
The path forward in the Senate presents a more significant challenge. Any legislation will require 60 votes to advance, a difficult threshold even with leadership backing. Wilson argued that her bill creates a responsible pathway to lawful permanent resident status while maintaining safeguards to protect public safety. She emphasized that Haitian families have complied with legal requirements and strengthened communities by working and paying taxes. The Supreme Court's decision puts hundreds of thousands of Haitian families at risk of deportation after years of legal residence in the United States.