GOP Defectors Help Democrats Stall Trump Deportation Agenda

In case you hadn’t heard, 10 Republican congressional representatives, two of whom I know fairly well from Miami, were critical to passing a Democrat-led bill in the House to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians in the United States. One of the Miami Republicans, Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), sponsored the bill.

But the Dignity (“DIGNIDAD”) Act is largely similar to Democrat-led “compromise” immigration policy bills that have come before it. It would shield more than 350,000 Haitian nationals from deportation, even as their “temporary” status has ended. 

As many understand, TPS has become just another scam gateway to amnesty as “temporary” almost always becomes “permanent.”

That’s why the bill is a direct attack on President Trump’s immigration and deportation agenda. It is also set to end in 2029, just at the end of Trump’s term, making the objective crystal clear — to stop Trump from deporting them.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, (D-Mass.), a far-left member of “the Squad,” marshalled the bill through the House Democrats, putting Salazar, along with Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), and Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) — the Miami GOP “three amigos” supporting the bill, and their seven other GOP rep comrades who voted for it, in bed with the far-left wing of the Democrat party.

And I’m not surprised.  

When it comes to immigration, my three former fellow South Florida Republicans have always been weak. And Salazar, with whom I co-hosted a Spanish-language radio show in Miami, and on whose various different political TV talk shows I appeared on frequently, has been squishier than most.

I was often the sole conservative on her shows advocating for tougher border and immigration enforcement, even as the Republican Party grew more fervent about the issue. For years Salazar advocated for immigration reform, a now lonely position in today’s GOP.

In addition to the three amigos the seven other turncoat Republicans who joined Democrats to pass the bill were Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), Rep. Mike Carey (R-Ohio), and Rep. Richard McCormick (R-Ga.). Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.), who caucuses with Republicans, also voted for the resolution.

Many in that GOP group have large Haitian communities in their districts. “Who needs Democrats whenever you have a Republican tool vote for amnesty?” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, told The Daily Signal just after the vote.

Gill noted that 91% of Haitians protected under TPS originally came into the United States illegally, and 69% came during the Biden administration. “The House just voted to codify, effectively, President [Joe] Biden’s open-border policies for the Haitians,” he continued.

Many, if not most Haitians in the U.S. are on welfare. A large number are criminals, some with links to violent gangs in Haiti.

These links are primarily through weapon smuggling, illicit financing, and kidnapping schemes, with federal authorities recently indicting top gang leadership for operating within the U.S.

Meanwhile, the bill comes as the Trump administration is trying to revoke the TPS program for Haiti, arguing that conditions have improved in the country and that granting Haitians legal protections runs counter to American interests.

The president’s effort is currently stalled as the TPS termination has been blocked by federal courts. The Supreme Court is set to hear a case on the TPS revocation later this month. 

 As Fox News reported:

The president has also spotlighted the killing of a Florida woman by a Haitian illegal immigrant earlier in April. The suspect, Rolbert Joachim, 40, reportedly received TPS status during the Biden administration.

“An Illegal Alien Criminal from Haiti, who was released into our Country by the WORST President in History, Crooked Joe Biden, and the Radical Democrats in Congress, just beat an innocent woman to death with a hammer at a gas station in Florida,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies and allow us to END THIS SCAM ONCE AND FOR ALL.”

Thankfully, the bill is likely to face hurdles in the GOP-controlled Senate. And Trump would almost certainly veto the measure if it were to pass. In that case, the legislation’s proponents, including our three amigos, would likely struggle to recruit a veto-proof majority.

But even if defeated, we should all remember where all these GOP representatives stood on this critical issue.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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