Res 0626-2026

Res. No. 626 Resolution calling upon the United States Senate to pass, and the President to sign, S.4814, to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status By Council Members Louis, Cabán, Joseph, Ung, Brooks-Powers, Narcisse, J. Sanchez, Hanif, Farías, Nurse, Hankerson, Aldebol, Williams, Epstein, Gutiérrez, Encarnación, Restler and Brewer Whereas, On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic, magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, killing an estimated 220,000 people, injuring more than 300,000 people, and leaving approximately 1.5 million people homeless, according to the Disasters Emergency Committee; and Whereas, In response to this catastrophic event, later that month the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which provides protection against deportation and eligibility for a work permit for nationals of countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, epidemics, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions; and Whereas, Since 2010, Haiti has suffered through a cholera epidemic, another earthquake and tropical storm, armed conflict, a presidential assassination, and the resignation of their Prime Minister; and Whereas, Neighborhoods and communities in Haiti continued to be plagued by violent armed gangs carrying out killings, kidnappings and sexual violence according to the United Nations; and Whereas, According to 2026 United Nations reporting, nearly 1.47 million people remain displaced by violence, 5.8 million people face food insecurity, and improved security and political progress are necessary to restore constitutional order and democratic institutions; and Whereas, Haitians have sought safety, security, and opportunity in the United States, and NBC News reported that 350,000 Haitian nationals had TPS in the United States, with an estimated 40,000 residing in New York; and Whereas, Haitian New Yorkers comprise the second largest Haitian immigrant population of any city in the nation, have established vibrant communities, and made significant economic and cultural contributions to New York City, and an area of Flatbush, Brooklyn, was designated “Little Haiti” in recognition of the neighborhood’s Haitian culture and community; and Whereas, In June 2025, DHS announced their decision to terminate TPS for Haiti stating that it was safe for nationals to return; and Whereas, CBS News reported in 2025 that streets in Little Haiti that were once filled with vendors had become desolate and that businesses that were usually crowded were empty as Haitian New Yorkers feared immigration enforcement and the loss of TPS protections; and Whereas, Haitian nationals subsequently sued in Washington D.C. federal courts to stop this elimination of TPS and the protections were held in place according to the federal court’s ruling; and Whereas, However, on June 25, 2026, in Mullin v. Doe, the United States Supreme Court reversed lower-court orders that had postponed the termination of Haiti’s TPS designation, therefore allowing the federal government to end TPS for Haiti; and Whereas, Haitian nationals with TPS have now lost their protections against deportation and authorization to work legally in the United States, threatening their livelihoods and making them a target for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and Whereas, S.4814, introduced by Senator Edward Markey in the United States Senate, would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for TPS until three months after January 20, 2029; and Whereas, On April 16, 2026, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 1689, a companion bill introduced by Representative Laura Gillen, requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status until three months after January 20, 2029; and Whereas, Enactment of S.4814 and its companion bill would preserve TPS-based employment authorization and protection from removal for qualifying Haitian nationals, protect Haitian families from displacement, and help prevent further disruption to communities in New York City and throughout the United States; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Senate to pass, and the President to sign, S.4814, to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status. LS #24954 07/30/2026 RLB/CQ