WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – Republican politician, Michael Lawler, has written to United States (US) President Donald Trump urging his administration to keep Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in place for Haitian citizens.

“For years, the security environment in Haiti has been spiralling out of control, leaving the country unstable and dangerous for communities still [there],’ he wrote, adding “With such a critical situation ongoing, it is paramount that you maintain the current TPS designation for Haiti and extend this designation in the coming months”.

The US government announced last Thursday that it will end the TPS for 500,000 Haitians living in the country in August.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said TPS has been held by Haitians since 2010 and will be ending on August 3, 2025. This means they will lose their work permits and could be eligible for deportation.

“For decades the TPS system has been exploited and abused,” the Department for Homeland Security said in a statement, adding the system has allowed Haitians who “entered the US illegally, to qualify for legal protected status”.

In his letter, Lawler said with the close proximity of Haiti to the United States “and our long history with the country, there has always been a strong interest in the wellbeing of the Haitian people.”

The Republican legislator said that according to the US Census Bureau, over one million individuals of Haitian descent live in the United States and he represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora constituencies and “can say with experience that they are good people who care deeply about their communities here in the US and back in Haiti.”

“Since August 2021, Haitian citizens present in the US have been eligible for TPS, with it currently set to expire in February 2026. TPS allows nationals of a foreign country already present in the US to stay in the country under temporary status if their home country is experiencing ongoing armed conflict or another extraordinary situation that would prevent nationals from safely returning,” he said.

Lawler maintained that while certain other TPS designations have been abused by Democratic administrations in the past, “Haiti’s designation is clearly warranted.”