It's not a bad word. It's there for a reason.
And Haiti and Venezuela are the prime examples of why TPS was established in the first place," he said.
Legislative efforts to secure the program's future have already passed the House of Representatives earlier this year.
Ten Republicans joined Democrats to pass the measure, including all three Republican representatives from South Florida.
If approved by the Senate, the measure would extend Haitian TPS protections through April 2029.
However, the bill hit resistance in the Senate on Wednesday when Republican Sen.
Eric Schmitt of Missouri objected to a bipartisan attempt to pass the extension, blocking immediate approval.
Local advocates and political leaders met on Wednesday to evaluate ongoing legal strategies. Advocates highlighted that criminal gangs control vast portions of Haiti, where severe security concerns persist.
The U. S.
State Department maintains a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for the country.
With legal outcomes uncertain, legal advisors are instructing families to make necessary administrative preparations.
"Having documents in order that helped people to understand what will happen to your children, your business, your money, your bank account, anything that you have, your car, your house, we want to make sure that people are prepared for the worst," said Vanessa Joseph with Catholic Legal Services.
