February 27, 2026
Dear Friends:
Thanks to a groundswell of calls to Congress, Discharge Petition 15, which would allow a vote in the US House on a 3-year extension for Haitian TPS is ¾ there. The petition has 161 signatories, which is 74% of the needed 218. Reaching 218 requires signatures from four Republican members, and we already have two signed on and a third committed to signing.
This is exciting-even unprecedented in my 22 years at IJDH. But we need to do more!
We got this far in a few weeks because of persistent phone calls from Haitian-Americans, employers, solidarity activists, church members, labor groups, healthcare advocates and other people and organizations from around the US who care about fairness for Haitians. We need more persistent phone calls to get to the finish line. So join us!
First, if your Representative has not signed (check here), please take 2 minutes to call today, and tomorrow, and the day after. And ask your friends, family and neighbors to call as well! Just dial (202) 224-3121 for the Congressional House switchboard, say your zip code and ask to be connected to your Representative. When you are connected, say “My name is ______, I live in (city/state/zip code). I am calling to urge Representative _______ to sign Discharge Petition 15, which would allow a vote on House Resolution 965, to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. Time is of the essence, so I would ask Rep. _______ to sign the discharge petition the next time she/he is on the House floor for a vote. Thank you for your consideration.”
Second, join our phone banking team! Marvin Mathelier and Cecilia Needham have coordinated a team that has placed hundreds of calls to Congressional offices. Cecilia and Marvin make it very easy for you, with clear instructions, scripts, and support. The most effective volunteers are putting in 5 or more hours a week, but if you have just one solid hour, you can make an impact. You can make calls at your own convenience or join our call parties virtually. Email cecilia@ijdh.org to sign up for the team or for more information on upcoming events.
This is all really easy! This video shows how easy.
Talking Point for Republicans: this is a bi-partisan effort. The underyling bill for this process is H.R. 1689, a TPS extension bill filed by Representatives Mike Lawler (R NY) and Laura Gillen (D NY).
Talking Point for Democrats: 159 Democratic Representatives, including House Democratic Leader Jeffries, have signed. Don’t be left out!
THIS IS SO URGENT! The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is appealing the February 2 court order in Miot v. Trump blocking its planned termination of TPS. The Court of Appeals decision is expected any day now. Although the Court of Appeals is expected to uphold the injunction, DHS has threatened to invoke the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” procedures. The Shadow Docket has generated rapid, thinly justified decisions overruling court orders that prevented illegal initiatives by the Administration.
Lawyers fear that the Supreme Court could block the court order in Miot v. Trump, by mid-March. If that happened, DHS would immediately revoke work authorization for over 200,000 workers and expose 350,000 Haitians to the brutal deportation machine. We can’t let that happen.
For more information on Haitian TPS, click here, or contact us!
Gratefully,
Brian Concannon
Executive Director
Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti