Florida GOP Lawmaker Warns Deporting Haitians with TPS Would Be ‘Critical Error’

Carlos Giménez, a Republican congressman from Florida, challenged the Trump administration on Sunday by urging the White House to reassess its plan to revoke temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian migrants. Speaking to CBS News, Giménez called the mass deportation of approximately 350,000 Haitians—many of whom reside in Florida and contribute significantly to local economies—a “grave error.” He emphasized that repatriating these individuals to Haiti, a nation he described as a “failed state” plagued by political instability and violence, would exacerbate the very crises prompting their migration.

Highlighting Haiti’s ongoing struggles with gang violence and collapsed infrastructure, Giménez argued that TPS remains essential to protect individuals fleeing untenable conditions. He also advocated for extending TPS protections to Venezuelans in light of the catastrophic twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela’s north-central region on June 24, 2023. “Temporary protected status is designed to shield those escaping failed states or countries overwhelmed by disasters, like Venezuela after these earthquakes,” he stated.

As a Miami-Dade County representative, Giménez noted the region’s ties to both Haitian and Venezuelan communities. His family’s Cuban heritage informs his perspective, which aligns with bipartisan concerns over the humanitarian impact of deportation. New York Republican congressman Mike Lawler and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine have echoed his warnings, cautioning that ending TPS would destabilize healthcare systems, nursing homes, and manufacturing sectors reliant on Haitian workers.

DeWine, whose state has a significant Haitian population in Springfield, criticized Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric, stating that Haitian migrants “work every day, take care of families, and buy homes” while contributing to local economies. Lawler similarly emphasized the healthcare crisis his district would face without Haitian labor, estimating one-third of TPS holders work in medical fields.

Giménez reiterated his past opposition to terminating Haitian TPS, co-sponsoring a bill (HR 1689) mandating TPS for Haiti until 2029. Despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling empowering the administration to end Haitian TPS, he asserted that deporting beneficiaries—a group currently allowed to remain under a DHS transition policy—would violate both legal precedent and humanitarian principles.

The congressman’s stance underscores mounting GOP resistance to hardline immigration policies tied to Florida’s political landscape. His constituents, including South Florida lawmakers like María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart, have supported his calls for a bipartisan extension of TPS, framing it as both “sound policy” and a moral imperative.

The Senate currently reviews HR 1689, though its passage remains uncertain amid partisan divides. For Giménez and allies, the measure represents a pragmatic solution to balance enforcement with compassion—a “common-sense approach,” he insists, to protect vulnerable communities already embedded in American society.

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