For Immediate Release: April 16, 2026
Contact: Heather Cabral, hcabral@faithinaction.org, 202-550-6880
National Faith Leaders, Organizers Celebrate Passage of H.R. 1689 – Providing Hope to 350,000 Haitians Facing Mass Deportation
WASHINGTON, DC – Faith in Action today celebrates the historic action by the U.S. House of Representatives in passing H.R. 1689, bipartisan legislation that would provide protection and stability for an estimated 350,000 Haitians living in the United States. The bill passed 224-204, with 11 Republicans breaking from their Party to vote in favor.
This life-saving legislation would protect Haitian families from mass detention and deportation to one of the most dangerous countries in the world – facing widespread gang violence, political instability, natural disasters, and rampant hunger.
House passage of H.R. 1689 through a Discharge Petition – only the 15th time in 40 years, and the first time an immigration-related bill has passed through this mechanism – is a testament to the organized power of the Haitian diaspora community. By extending protections to Haitians, the legislation acknowledges the severe and ongoing crises in Haiti while offering families the ability to live and work without fear of deportation.
Claudette David, Consultant, Faith in Action International, said, “This win reflects the power of coordinated coalition building and sustained advocacy within the faith and Haitian communities. Centering Haitian voices, especially Haitian faith leaders, was essential to this outcome, and it will remain critical as we move forward. When communities lead, we all benefit.
Over the last three months, Haitian clergy have organized their communities and brought their hometown messages directly to lawmakers in Washington D.C. They’ve worked closely with business, labor, immigrant, and Haitian diaspora organizations. Just last month, faith leaders held a congressional briefing to advance the discharge petition, helping pave the way for today’s vote.
Rev. Dr. Keny Felix, Senior Pastor, Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church, added, “We are tremendously grateful to Rep. Ayanna Pressley and the Democratic and Republican House members who voted today to protect Haitian individuals with TPS. This vote affirms the dignity of our Haitian neighbors, whose homeland continues to be marked by unrestrained gang violence, government instability, and a growing humanitarian crisis where more than a million people have been internally displaced.
Today’s bipartisan House vote demonstrates Congressional recognition that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem violated the letter and intent of the TPS statute when she declared that Haiti safe, against all evidence, and terminated life-saving protections. Extending TPS for Haitians is not simply about charity– it’s about our moral duty to protect those who will face serious harm, including children, the elderly, and thousands of adults, if returned to a country in disarray. We urge the Senate to respond with compassion and pass this bill.”
“This victory belongs to the Haitian community, to organizers, to faith leaders, and to everyone who refused to look away. We are witnessing what’s possible when courage outweighs fear and people move together. And we will keep pressing forward until every family, including every TPS holder whose status is at risk, can live without fear – because dignity is not negotiable,” saidAlex Gonzalez, National Immigration Campaign Manager, Faith in Action
“This is what justice looks like when compassion meets courage,” said Bishop Dwayne Royster, Executive Director of Faith in Action. “For years, our Haitian siblings have lived with the constant threat of displacement despite contributing to the fabric of our communities. Today, we honor their organized power and resilience and celebrate one important step toward a more just and humane immigration system, one that recognizes that these TPS holders are image bearers of God.”
Faith in Action has long stood alongside Haitian communities and immigrant leaders across this country, advocating for permanent protections rooted in dignity and equity. Through our international network and Haiti partner, the People’s Organization for the Development of Haiti (OPODHA), we also support grassroots organizing and community development in Haiti, and see firsthand the conditions families would be forced to return to.
Faith in Action calls on the Senate to immediately act to pass H.R. 1689 and end the mortal danger facing hundreds of thousands of hardworking Haitian immigrants.
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Faith in Action is a global network of faith-based organizations working across the United States and in 14 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Through Faith in Action International and A Way Forward in Haiti, we support grassroots community organizing in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora.
