Republican Support for DIGNIDAD Act Challenges Trump Policies
Republican advocates of the DIGNIDAD Act, which aims to grant wide-ranging amnesty to an estimated 11 to 22 million undocumented immigrants, are pushing back against President Trump’s immigration stance. This group is collaborating with Democrats to secure Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 350,000 Haitians currently in the U.S.
On Wednesday, the act’s main sponsor, Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.), along with co-sponsors Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), voted alongside House Democrats to propose legislation preventing Trump from terminating TPS for Haitians.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY)—who did not co-sponsor the DIGNIDAD Act—also sided with Democrats, favoring the continuation of TPS for Haitians, which stands in stark contrast to Trump’s policies.
Lawler recently defended his stance, noting, “My district has the highest population of Haitians in the nation.” He expressed concern over the potential health care crisis, stating, “If [temporary protections are removed], and if we don’t address work authorization, it will create a major crisis in our health care system, especially where many Haitian TPS holders work as nurses.”
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), who opposes Salazar’s proposal, criticized TPS for Haitians as a means of “backdoor amnesty.” He labeled the initiative as a betrayal of Republican values and urged his peers to reject it. He noted that the bill failed in the House with 219 votes and indicated a forthcoming final vote on the matter.
The vote was spearheaded by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Rep. Laura Guillen (D-N.Y.), who co-sponsored the DIGNIDAD Act. Their plan seeks to extend TPS for hundreds of thousands of Haitians for three years, while the Trump administration currently challenges TPS for Haiti in the Supreme Court.
Pressley argued that extending TPS for Haiti is not only a moral obligation but also beneficial for families, the economy, and the country as a whole. A final vote on the bill is anticipated later this week.
