Congressional Field Hearing on Haitian Tps Termination
Floor Speech
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Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2026, I convened a Congressional Field Hearing in my district on Haitian TPS Termination. Senator Markey and Representative Moulton also participated along with community stakeholders. I include in the Record my opening remarks:
Thank you to Jubilee--we are so appreciative of their partnership in providing this space for us today. I want to also thank tech. I want to thank security, and everyone else. I think it's very apropos on the wake of the many faith events that we have been at celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to invoke one of my favorite adages, which is, when you pray--and we have been doing a lot of that, and I certainly do that as a woman of faith myself-- move your feet. And so, I will continue to pray and to move my feet, to steward every tool available to me in the work of resistance, the actualization of justice and the furthering of progress--using the power of my congressional letterhead, using the power of my pen as a lawmaker, using the power of my platform, using the power of convening, which is what brings us here today.
I also do want to take a moment to acknowledge the indefatigable efforts of my staff that I call the A team who make great personal sacrifices and labor in love on behalf of the Massachusetts Seventh every single day, which includes majority of parts Boston, Cambridge, all of Somerville, Randolph, Everett, Chelsea and Milton, can we please just thank my staff?
Then, of course, I wish to thank all of you and a partner in good to the left of me. I thank Senator Markey for his collaborative partnership today in this Congressional field hearing. I proudly serve as the Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus, a caucus that had been dissolved that I worked actively to reassemble, not knowing what was on the horizon. And so it is in that role--as the Congresswoman for the Massachusetts Seventh and as the Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus--that we arrive here today.
Reviving the Haiti caucus was a significant priority for me, because my district represents the third largest Haitian diaspora in the country. More than 77,000 Haitians call the Commonwealth their home. Our Haitian neighbors are attorneys, nurses, social workers, chefs, artists, teachers, pastors, and elected officials--and so much more. Their contributions are an integral part of our community, culture and economy. And the island of Haiti, which is only a short distance from Florida, must be recognized as an important ally to the United States' national security interests.
On a personal note, I credit the people of Haiti, especially as we are coming off of celebrating independence, for teaching me my earliest lessons in the work of resistance. So today, on the one year anniversary--feels much longer--on the one year anniversary of this cruel and hostile administration, we are doing the work of resistance like we did one year ago today. We are here in community, listening to the people closest to the pain.
Today's hearing is an opportunity to examine the necessity of extending TPS for Haiti. For those unaware, Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is an immigration designation in recognition of a country facing conflict, disaster or extraordinary conditions, TPS has received bipartisan support for over 30 years as a program. With this status, Haitians have been able to live and work in the United States, whether they came to the US in 2010 after the catastrophic earthquake, or more recently, following the assassination of the President and the rise in gang violence. Which I must acknowledge the trafficking of guns from the United States contributes to.
The people of Haiti are our neighbors, and have helped build our communities into loving, joyful, and safe places where everyone can thrive. Now, Massachusetts (I do think these numbers are important), has about 45,000 Haitian TPS holders. So it is in the interest of the integrity of this Massachusetts Seventh and the Commonwealth and our economy and all that keeps our families and our neighborhoods whole. Everyone who calls the Commonwealth Home, who calls the Massachusetts Seventh home, who calls the city of Boston home, should be invested in this fight.
Lives and livelihoods are at risk. If Donald Trump and his anti-immigrant crusade are successful, more than 350,000 Haitian nationals will lose their legal status on February 3rd. I want everyone to know that this Congresswoman is fighting tooth and nail to stop this from happening. Since being elected to Congress, I've stood shoulder to shoulder with our immigrant neighbors. Together, we have helped immigrate new arrivals to the Commonwealth by making sure kids are enrolled in school, adults can find work, and families are healthy.
In Washington, DC, I've urged Democratic and Republican Presidents alike--Democrat and Republican Presidents alike-- to support Haiti. To support Haiti and its efforts to build the nation, to support a Democratic transition, one that is led by Haitian civil society. And just this month, I voted to pass legislation to strengthen Haiti trade relations and to support its economy. Despite these efforts, we know there is much more work to do, and I'll not stop fighting, and I'm grateful to all those who are in that fight with me, who have been my teachers in this movement.
I look forward to hearing from the esteemed panelists on the importance of protecting TPS status and supporting the people of Haiti.
For the full video of the hearing, visit https://pressley.house.gov/ 2026/01/20/video-pressley- markey-holdfield-hearing-on-tps-for-haiti- express-solidarity-with-mass-haitian- community/.
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