TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Haitian nationals living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status could receive a three-year extension under a House-passed measure that drew bipartisan support but continues to spark debate over immigration policy and conditions in Haiti.

The proposal, H.R. 1689, would extend Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for more than 350,000 Haitian nationals.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Temporary protected status for Haitians to expire Feb. 3

Jean-René Rinvil of the Haitian Association Foundation of Tampa Bay, Inc. told News Channel 8 he was pleased to see the bipartisan support from lawmakers as Haiti remains unsafe for widespread return, reminding of the ongoing instability.

“It really proves that Congress can work together,” Rinvil said. “Whether it’s natural disasters, the assassination of the president and gangs and so forth. I think we are at a point where it is necessary for TPS really to stay.”

Rinvil said conditions are frightening particularly in Port-au-Prince, where there remains ongoing infrastructure damage and insecurity.

“Especially in Port-au-Prince… a lot of people even had homes, but those have been destroyed, so where will they stay?” Rinvil explained.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security first designated Haiti for TPS in 2010 following the catastrophic earthquake which killed more than 300,000 people. The designation has been extended multiple times in the years since.

Those who oppose the measure say immigration policy should prioritize U.S. interests and argue that humanitarian protections should not become permanent migration pathways as there is already an avenue for that.

“I don’t blame Haitians for trying to get here. I mean, the country has only really difficult to live in, really difficult. So I don’t blame them, but we still have to look out for the needs of Americans first,” said Rod Thomson of the Republican Party of Sarasota County. “There’s no good solution for a country that has been that bad off for that long. I just know that America can’t fix it by bringing in and allowing hundreds of thousands of them.”

The bill now moves to the Senate. If approved there, it would go to President Donald Trump, who would decide whether to sign it into law.

However, its prospects remain uncertain. Earlier this year, the Trump administration moved to end TPS protections for Haitian nationals, but that effort was blocked by a federal judge in Washington, D.C.

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