A group of immigrant advocacy groups is planning a rally on Sunday in North Miami to press Congress to extend Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for hundreds of thousands of Haitian nationals in the U.S.
The planned rally comes a little more than week after the House approved a bill to extend TPS for Haitians. Republican and Democratic lawmakers from South Florida — home to the largest Haitians in the U.S. — proved crucial in passing the bill 224-204.
The bill, H.R. 1689, was supported by U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar, U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez and U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart — all Republicans from Miami — along with South Florida Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, of West Palm Beach, and U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, of Parkland.
Turning the legislation into law will require approval by the U.S. Senate and President Donald Trump. The White House has already said Trump would veto it.
READ MORE: House passes bill extending protections for Haitian migrants in the U.S.
"The Administration understands members have to vote their districts at times," the White House said in a statement to NPR. "This terrible bill is going nowhere and there has been a veto threat issued. The administration is focused on enforcing federal immigration law and putting American citizens first."
Sunday's rally in North Miami is being organized by Family Action Network Movement, or FANM, one of the region's leading Haitian immigrant advocacy groups. Others include the Haitian Bridge Alliance and the American Civil Liberties Union.
The groups content that the Trump administration's efforts to terminate TPS is "discriminatory, unlawful and dismissive of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti."
“These rallies are about protecting families, defending dignity and standing up for justice,” FANM said in a statement. “More than 330,000 Haitians—and countless U.S.-based family members—depend on TPS to live and work safely in this country.”
Haiti is one of more than a dozen countries Trump has targeted to strip TPS for its citizens.
TPS is intended to provide a safe haven for foreign nationals whose home countries are experiencing armed conflict, fallout from natural disasters, and other temporarily unsafe conditions.
Haitians were granted protections in 2010 under then-President Obama following the devastating earthquake that rocked the already beleaguered nation and left an estimated 220,000 dead and 1.5 million people displaced.
The Biden and first Trump administrations both extended TPS for Haitian refugees.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Haiti TPS Rally — South Florida
WHO: FANM & Partner Organizations, Faith, Civic, Community, and Youth Leaders, Immigration Lawyers and Advocates, Impacted TPS Holders and Families
WHEN: Sunday, April 26, 2026, beginning at 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: MOCA Plaza 770 NE 125th Street, North Miami, Fl 33161.
