EXCLUSIVE: Trump Admin Comes Out Swinging On Haitian Immigration Bill Backed By Some Republicans

The White House came out swinging against a bill, backed by several Republicans, that would prohibit the deportation of Haitian nationals living in the United States, according to a memo first obtained by The Daily Wire. 

The Office of Management and Budget said Wednesday that the Trump administration “strongly opposes” a bill sponsored by eight congressional Democrats and New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler that would expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians until 2029. The move from the White House comes as the House is expected to vote soon on the measure after four Republicans joined Democrats to force a vote.

“Across several Executive Orders and Proclamations, the President has made it clear that this Administration’s priority is protecting the American people and addressing the criminal threat posed by those who enter this nation with little to no vetting or overstay the visa granted them,” the White House said Wednesday. “Numerous Haitian nationals previously granted TPS have been the subject of administrative investigations for fraud, public safety, and national security.”

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Rolbert Joachin, an illegal immigrant from Haiti accused of murdering a woman with a hammer, was granted TPS by the Biden administration.

In March, Lawler and three other Republicans backed a discharge petition from Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) to force a vote on the proposal. The other Republicans who joined the discharge petition included Reps. Don Bacon (NE), Maria Salazar (FL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA). The Daily Wire reached out to their offices for comment on the president’s opposition to the measure. 

Bacon said he opposed removing TPS status because it would impact the healthcare industry.

“Removing the TPS status would cost 350,000 healthcare workers their ability to work at a time when we’re already facing serious workforce shortages,” Bacon told The Daily Wire.”I’ve heard from healthcare providers and business leaders across Nebraska who are concerned about the impact this would have on patient care and our economy. I don’t see the goodness of deporting people who are here legally, who are working, and who contribute to our country.”

Should the bill pass, the White House said that President Donald Trump would be advised to veto the legislation.

Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem directed TPS status for Haitians to be terminated on February 3, 2026, saying the conditions for giving Haitians specially protected status from deportation were no longer met. 

Judges have so far blocked efforts to revoke TPS, and DHS said it is working with the Justice Department to “determine next steps.”

Lawler and about two dozen other House Republicans recently faced criticism from conservative lawmakers over their support for Salazar’s “DIGNIDAD Act,” which would provide legal status without a way to get citizenship for those in the country illegally before 2021. Critics say the measure would be de facto amnesty and would significantly curtail efforts to deport illegal immigrants.