U.S. bishops urge Senate to protect Haitians from deportation

U.S. bishops urged the Senate to pass legislation extending immigration protections for Haitians, arguing that escalating violence and instability in Haiti make deportations unsafe and calling for broader immigration reforms to provide a pathway to more permanent legal status.

The Nov. 10 letter sent to every U.S. senator urged passage of a bill, S. 4814 , that would designate temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians through April 20, 2029. It would allow TPS recipients, including more than 330,000 Haitians, to remain and work legally in the United States during that period.

TPS is an immigration status granted to eligible foreign nationals from designated countries that are deemed unsafe to return to due to ongoing conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.

The Trump administration has moved to end TPS for people from more than a dozen countries since 2025, and Lebanon TPS is set to end Nov. 27. TPS for Haiti ended July 27, after a Supreme Court decision allowed the termination to take effect.

In April, the Republican-controlled U.S. House passed legislation, H.R. 1689 , that would extend TPS for Haitians for three more years. No…