Congress mandates Haiti protection status, tying expiration to 2029.

What it does

This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haiti, a designation that allows Haitian nationals already in the U.S. to remain and work legally without fear of deportation, lasting until three months after January 20, 2029. The bill overrides the Secretary's discretion and mandates this protection regardless of other considerations.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is a mandatory directive to the executive branch to grant a specific immigration status to a named country. It is a straightforward legislative override of executive discretion in immigration policy.

What the text implies

• The bill's expiration date (3 months after January 20, 2029) is tied to a presidential term boundary, suggesting the designation is intended to survive the current administration but expire early in a potential successor administration.
• TPS designation typically includes work authorization, Social Security eligibility, and protection from deportation, but the bill does not specify which federal benefits or services Haitian TPS holders may access—implementation details will be determined by DHS regulation.
• The 'notwithstanding' clause may override other statutory or regulatory constraints on TPS designation, potentially limiting judicial review or executive flexibility to modify the designation before the expiration date.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Haitian nationals in the U.S. gain legal work authorization, protection from deportation, and access to certain federal benefits—a concrete benefit to that population. However, labor-market effects on native-born and other immigrant workers, fiscal costs to public services, and the removal of executive discretion from immigration policy create offsetting public-interest considerations that are genuine and material.

Named in the bill

Secretary of Homeland Security, Haiti, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, Department of Homeland Security

Where it stands

8 cosponsors: 7 Democrats, 1 Republicans.

• Feb 27, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 27, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
• Apr 16, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 224 - 204 (Roll no. 120).”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

14 lobbying clients named this bill on 14 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $4,420,563 in lobbying spend. A filing names 30 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 94% of bills with at least one filing.

Laura Gillen, the sponsor, reported $1,002,749 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Friends Committee on National Legislation — $1,000,000 on 1 filing
• American Health Care Association — $840,000 on 1 filing
• AFL-CIO — $760,000 on 1 filing
• Greater New York Hospital Association — $580,000 on 1 filing
• American Federation of Teachers — $410,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 21, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.