In March 2026, HCLC President Pastor David Eugene led a delegation of Haitian faith leaders to Washington, D.C. — walking the halls of Congress to make one urgent appeal: extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian families before it is too late.
With the U.S. Supreme Court set to hear a challenge to TPS for Haitian and Syrian nationals just weeks away, the moment carried extraordinary weight. Organized through the national faith-based advocacy network Faith in Action, our delegation joined pastors and community leaders from across the country — New York, Boston, Indianapolis, New England — united by the same conviction: the church cannot stay silent when its members are in danger.
Why We Went
More than 330,000 Haitian nationals currently hold Temporary Protected Status in the United States — a lifeline granted because conditions in Haiti remain too dangerous for safe return. Gang violence continues to claim lives, children face sexual exploitation and kidnapping, and essential public institutions have collapsed. The U.S. State Department itself maintains a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for Haiti.
Despite this reality, the Trump administration has moved to end TPS for Haitian nationals, arguing it is no longer in the national interest. The consequences have already arrived in our pews. Church attendance has plummeted. Families live in fear of being tracked for attending services — even online. Pastors across South Florida report members experiencing severe anxiety, and troublingly, incidences of suicidal ideation among teenage children of TPS holders have increased.
“Our neighbors and church members are in danger of being returned to the very country they fled — to escape unrestrained violence by gangs, the sexual exploitation of children, kidnappings, and murder, in addition to severe food insecurity and the collapse of essential public institutions.”
— Pastor Keny Felix, President, SBC National Haitian Fellowship
The Ask: A Discharge Petition to Force a Vote
At the center of our congressional visits was a clear legislative target: encouraging members to sign the discharge petition introduced by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus. The petition, if it reaches 218 signatures, would compel the full House to vote on a bill requiring a three-year extension of TPS for Haitian refugees — bypassing committee gridlock to put the question directly before Congress.
We came prepared with data. Haitian nationals contribute $5.9 billion annually to the U.S. economy. They pay $805 million in federal and payroll taxes and $755 million in state and local taxes each year. TPS holders are not a burden — they are contributors, neighbors, and members of our congregations who have built lives in this country.
Voices From the Delegation
HCLC President Pastor David Eugene — who serves as pastor of Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami — was among those who spoke directly with congressional representatives. He was joined by Pastor Patrick Jules of Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, and Paul Christian Namphy, lead organizer for the Family Action Network Movement, alongside Haitian pastors from across the nation and representatives of the TPS Alliance and labor organizations including the American Business Immigration Coalition.
“I believe faith leaders of our denomination need to join with local church pastors to exert maximum pressure on elected officials that we voted into office — to enact legislation that would put an end to this crisis.”
— Pastor David Eugene, President, Haitian Christian Leaders Coalition
Faith Demands Action
For the Haitian Christian Leaders Coalition, this trip was not a political act — it was a pastoral one. When members of our congregations face deportation to a country where their lives are at risk, silence is not an option. We are called to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, to stand at the gates of power on behalf of the vulnerable.
“We must not only pray for the vulnerable but advocate and stand with them. It’s the right thing to do when your neighbor is hurting.”
— Pastor Keny Felix, Senior Pastor, Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church, Miami
The work is far from finished. We will continue to press members of Congress to sign the discharge petition, to hold hearings, and to recognize the moral imperative of protecting families who have been an integral part of our communities for decades. We ask our partner churches, networks, and community members to join us — contact your congressional representatives, share this story, and pray for those whose futures hang in the balance.
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