Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – 3/4/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) signed the Discharge Petition No. 15 to force a vote on H.R. 1689, bipartisan legislation to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to maintain Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation. This bill was introduced last year by Reps. Lawler and Laura Gillen (NY-04),  but has not been brought to the House floor for consideration. Rep. Lawler released the following statement after signing: 

“The situation in Haiti remains dire. Rampant gang violence, political instability, and a worsening humanitarian crisis make it clear that conditions on the ground have not improved. There is no doubt that sending individuals back into that environment is dangerous.

For more than a year, my bill to extend TPS for Haiti has sat without a vote in the House of Representatives. That’s unacceptable. Today, I signed the discharge petition to force the House to take up the bill and allow Members to vote.”

Since the Administration’s announcement last year, Rep. Lawler has met with constituents, faith leaders, small business owners, and community organizations across the Hudson Valley to hear firsthand how this decision impacts local families and our economy. He has also been in constant communication with the Administration, pressing for an extension of TPS for Haiti and advocating for clarity and fairness for affected families.

Rep. Lawler has worked directly with these Haitian families, as well as with their employers, including many in the healthcare and nonprofit space, to help them explore asylum and other lawful immigration pathways so they can continue to live and work in the United States once TPS expires.

Last year, Lawler led Rockland County elected officials in a letter to President Trump urging an extension of TPS, signaling a coordinated, whole-of-community effort in Rockland County. He has sent multiple other letters and advocated for this policy directly to President Trump and Secretary Noem.

Rep. Lawler has been outspoken and proactive in urging the U.S. government to address Haiti’s worsening security, humanitarian, and political crisis, pushing the State Department to prioritize stabilization efforts, support economic opportunity, and engage regional partners, while continuing to fight for Haitian-American families.

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

###