SEPTEMBER 1, 2026
Contact: media@haitianbridge.org,  Paige Censale, pcensale@haitianbridge.org

SAN DIEGO, CA — On Labor Day, the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) is urging the U.S. Senate to vote H.R. 1689, a Discharge Petition extending for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350k Haitian nationals for three years and restoring work authorization for eligible recipients. The House has already passed the measure with bipartisan support, following months of advocacy by HBA and partner organizations calling on lawmakers to act.  With extreme gang violence and a worsening humanitarian crisis  continuing in Haiti, returning Haitian TPS holders remains unsafe and, for many families, unimaginable.

“On Labor Day, we recognize the millions of workers whose labor keeps our communities and economy moving. Haitian TPS holders are part of that workforce. They are caregivers, healthcare workers, construction workers, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, and consumers who contribute every day to the American economy,” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance. “Taking away their ability to work legally does not serve the interests of the United States. It harms American employers, disrupts families, reduces economic activity, and removes experienced workers from industries that depend on them.”

HBA urges the Senate to act swiftly. Extending TPS is both a humanitarian necessity and an economic imperative: allowing Haitian TPS holders and other nationals to remain legally employed means they can continue paying taxes, supporting American businesses, caring for families, and contributing to their communities. At a time when the United States needs a stable and productive workforce, Congress should not force hundreds of thousands of workers out of the legal economy while Haiti remains unsafe for return.

ABOUT HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE

Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), also known as “The Bridge”, is a grassroots community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies, foreign policy, and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black migrants, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. HBA also seeks to elevate the issues unique to Black migrants and builds solidarity and collective movement toward policy change. Anpil men chay pa lou (“Many hands make the load light”). Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @haitianbridge