EDITORIAL: “TPS: The Floor Goes to the Institutions…”

(Marcus Garcia, Melodie FM / Haïti en Marche, July 30, 2026)
MIAMI, July 30 — Exceptionally, the issue of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals in the United States has moved from the streets to the level of institutions…
Indeed, while for the Trump administration the measure came to an end on July 27, today it is the Catholic Church that is pleading the case before the Senate in Washington, seeking an extension for at least three years…
Meanwhile, a delegation from both chambers of Congress, including members of both the Republican and Democratic parties, is traveling to Haiti to assess the state of public security…
Everyone knows that Haiti has fallen into the hands of armed gangs who kidnap, extort, and kill—in short, who have been spreading terror for several years—and that even international peacekeeping missions have not yet succeeded in overcoming them.
But this matters little to President Donald Trump: repatriation flights have already begun…
Yet the final card in favor of TPS for Haitians may come from a completely unexpected direction: the employment sector.
Haitians have proven to be good workers.
This is true both in the private sector (large retail chains as well as the more specialized field of elderly care) and in the public sector: construction, road maintenance, and so on.
In a dramatic turn, it is therefore at the institutional level itself that, this week, the final effort to maintain TPS for these Haitian immigrants is being played out—namely, some 350,000 nationals who had been invited by the U.S. government itself in the aftermath of the earthquake (magnitude 7.1) that struck the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, on January 12, 2010, causing (official figures) up to 250,000 deaths.
Today, on one side, the Church (represented by the Catholic Archbishop of Miami, Most Rev. Thomas Wenski, bringing the issue directly before the Senate in Washington); a move supported—through the press—by a significant portion of the employment sector (private, with hospitals at the forefront, but also public: roadworks and construction), etc.
It is Congress that has the authority to renew TPS (Temporary Protected Status)…
Archbishop Wenski, who is therefore currently the main spokesperson for the movement, is seeking a three-year extension…
Hoping, of course, that Haiti will have regained stability in the meantime.
On this matter, the head of the UN mission in Haiti—the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri of Mongolia—stated that it will take at least two years to secure hotspots such as ports and other areas.
Notably, the U.S. congressional delegation, led by Brian Mast, also met this week with officials from the Gang Suppression Force (GSF).
Details of the visit and meeting:
• Objective: To review progress in operations against armed groups.
• Location: Meetings and briefings in Port-au-Prince, including exchanges at the National Palace and a visit to the Vertières military base (international force).
• GSF Participants: Leaders of the international force presented an update on their missions and prospects for securing the territory.
The congressional delegation, which has since returned to Washington, therefore has first-hand information.
However, President Trump has not had the last word. Not only is ICE (immigration enforcement) stepping up operations—with reports of plainclothes officers in airports—but regarding the workforce threatened by these mass expulsions and repatriations, another proposal has reportedly emerged from the White House: that “veterans,” meaning retired military personnel and police officers, be used for these tasks.
This is where matters currently stand.
Next step: a possible vote in Congress (first in the Senate) on whether or not to renew TPS.
Let us recall that it is Congress that grants TPS.
The Executive is responsible for its implementation.
A recent Supreme Court ruling confirmed that, as such, the Trump administration may terminate it.
However, only Congress has the authority—following on-the-ground assessment—to grant or deny TPS.
Therefore, this is a developing situation.
And an urgent one at that!!!
(Marcus Garcia, Melodie FM / Haïti en Marche, July 30, 2026)