Maria Elvira Salazar part of successful petition forcing House vote on TPS for Haitians

U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar just helped force a House vote on a Democratic bill to restore temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian refugees. And she has already helped U.S. Rep. Darren Soto in a similar effort to help Venezuelan nationals.

A discharge petition filed by U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Massachusetts Democrat, reached a requisite 218 signatures on Friday. That now requires House leadership to allow a floor vote on Pressley’s bill (HRes 965) to require Homeland Security to designate Haiti for TPS.

Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, signed the petition on Feb. 2, making her one of four GOP representatives to join with 214 Democrats and demand a vote.

The issue holds particular importance in South Florida, home to 49% of Haitians currently living in the U.S., according to the Migration Policy Institute. Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, in fact, serve as the top three counties for Haitian immigrants in the entire country.

It’s not the only TPS discharge petition that Salazar recently signed onto.

Soto, who also signed onto the Haitian TPS discharge petition, filed a petition on March 16 trying to similarly force a vote on his own bill (HRes 1046). He announced the bipartisan effort on March 24 to gather enough signatures to demand a vote, and said he would spearhead it with Salazar and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat.

Florida also served as home to 49% of all Venezuelans living in the U.S., with Miami-Dade, Broward and Orange as the three U.S. counties with the highest concentrations.

The Democrats behind the discharge petition cast it as a direct pushback to President Donald Trump’s policies.

“The Trump Administration has stripped Venezuelans of Temporary Protected Status, parole, and other critical protections, as well as unjustly deported refugees during a time of major instability in their country,” Soto said. “In Central Florida, thousands of Venezuelans have fled political violence and joined family members already living in the United States, contributing to our economy, and working hard to help our community grow.”

Salazar, though, has continued to say Trump could provide a bipartisan solution to immigration. She has been more critical of conservative hard-liners in Congress, thwarting any attempt at reform. She said the Venezuelan discharge petition would prompt leadership to move forward with the necessary policy.

“While it is encouraging to see signs of progress and a potential path forward for Venezuela, much work remains to be done, and the country is still not safe for many people to return,” Salazar said.

“Until conditions meaningfully improve, we must uphold our commitment to those we granted Temporary Protected Status while ensuring strong criminal vetting measures remain in place. “This discharge petition is about doing the right thing, pushing Congress to act and stand on the side of those who fled repression and instability.”