Florida Republican says deporting Haitians with TPS would be ‘huge mistake’

Republican Congressman Carlos Giménez has publicly diverged from the Trump administration's stance, calling for a halt to the elimination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants. Giménez, representing a Florida district with a significant Haitian-American population, stated that sending approximately 350,000 Haitians back to their country, which he characterized as a 'failed state,' would be a 'huge mistake.'

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Haiti is a failed state, and I think that deporting Haitians that are under TPS right now, back to Haiti, would be a huge mistake.

His remarks come in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows the administration to end TPS for Haitians and Syrians. While the Department of Homeland Security has indicated that TPS beneficiaries will retain their status and work authorization until lower courts align with the Supreme Court's decision, Giménez's plea highlights ongoing debate within the Republican party.

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Look at how it’s going to impact states like Ohio. In Ohio, the Haitians are working primarily in manufacturing, they’re also working in the food area.

Giménez's position echoes that of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who also urged the administration to reconsider. DeWine emphasized the economic contributions of Haitian immigrants in states like Ohio, where they are employed in manufacturing and elder care. He argued that removing these workers would be detrimental to state economies and essential services, stating it is 'not in our own self-interest.' Both officials also pointed to the ongoing instability and safety concerns in Haiti as reasons to maintain TPS.

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It’s Haitians who, many times, are taking care of your mom or your dad who has Alzheimer’s, taking care of family members who might be in a nursing home. And to say we’re going to pull all those people out, it’s just not in our own self-interest.