Ayanna Pressley is not backing down.

​The Democratic Rep. is leading the charge to extend temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in the United States. On Wednesday, the House agreed to advance a bill that would push Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program through 2029.

​Pressley, who co‑chairs the House Haiti Caucus, won a procedural vote on her bipartisan discharge petition by a margin of 219–209; the full House is set to vote on final passage Thursday afternoon.

​“This is a critical step forward in our fight for immigrant justice and delivering our Haitian neighbors the protections they deserve—and it’s a testament to the strength of our broad, diverse, and bipartisan coalition,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement. She also emphasized the importance of both democrats and republicans coming together over the issue.

“I am grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who supported our discharge petition, to my staff who power this work, and our movement partners who’ve helped us get this far. The House must move with urgency and pass this legislation without delay,” she said.

TPS allows those from certain countries, including Haiti, to remain and work in the U.S. due to conditions in their home countries that make safe return impossible, such as ongoing gang violence, political instability, and repeated natural disasters.

Pressley has argued that Haiti’s designation as a “Level 4, Do Not Travel” nation by the State Department highlights the need for continued protections, and she has pointed to the Trump administration’s own past support for TPS legislation as evidence that the measure is pragmatic and not purely partisan. Republican Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Mike Lawler of New York, and Don Bacon of Nebraska united with Democrats to back the petition.

Several of Pressley’s colleagues also gave the congresswoman her props, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib. “I am so proud of my sis @RepPressley for securing 218 signatures on her discharge petition to extend Haiti TPS. She is a fearless leader that our nation deserves in this moment,” said Tlaib on X.​

The move comes after earlier attempts by the Trump administration to end TPS for Haiti were temporarily blocked by federal courts, leaving roughly 350,000 Haitian TPS holders in legal limbo. ​

If the bill passes, it would defer feared deportations and give families more breathing room while the humanitarian crisis in Haiti continues.