Where I Stand on TPS for Haiti

I want to say thank you to America. Thank you for opening your doors to the Haitian people after the devastating earthquake of 2010. President Obama's administration, working with Homeland Security, designated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status because conditions on the ground were too dangerous for our people to safely return. That was an act of compassion. That was an act of protection. And what began as compassion and protection should not now end in cruelty.

A Promise That Should Not Be Broken

When President Trump was first elected in 2016, his administration moved to end TPS for Haiti. At that time, Haiti was already facing tremendous instability — political unrest, gang violence, kidnappings, poverty, families struggling simply to survive. Today, we are confronting this same fight again. As we get closer to the election, the administration is moving forward with plans to deport hundreds of thousands of Haitians who have been living in the United States lawfully, on TPS.

We have to ask a very important question: where are these people supposed to go? Haiti still faces political instability. Haiti still faces gang violence, kidnappings, displacement, and economic hardship. Families displaced by disasters and violence are still living in extremely difficult conditions right now, today. And we are talking about sending thousands more people back into that same environment. Recently, a plane landed in Cap-Haïtien carrying more than 160 people deported from the United States. Think about that. These are human beings. These are people who have worked. They have paid taxes. They have raised children. They have attended churches. They have opened businesses. They have become part of the community, across Florida, across America.

This Is Personal to Me

I am not speaking about this as an outsider looking in. I was a TPS beneficiary myself. I know what it means to renew your status every single year — I remember paying around five hundred dollars each time — just to hold on to your legal right to stay, to work, to provide for your family. I walked that path from TPS, to a work permit and Social Security, to permanent residency, to becoming a United States citizen. So when I speak about TPS, I am not speaking from a briefing paper. I am speaking from my own life.

I have also stood with our community in this fight directly. I marched with the NAACP in Washington against mass deportation, because this is not a moment where we can afford to stay divided. It's a moment for us to come together — Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike — because this is not a partisan issue. This is a human issue.

I Want to Be Very Clear

I support removing dangerous criminals from our country. If someone commits violence, commits crimes, threatens our communities — our government has a responsibility to protect the people of America. That is not in question.

But that is not the same as blindly deporting hardworking, law-abiding families who are here lawfully, on TPS. We should not treat a father going to work every morning the same way we treat a violent criminal. We should not treat American children the same way we treat a gang member. And we should not send families into a humanitarian crisis simply to score political points.

Today, I speak about this not simply as a candidate for Congress. I speak as a pastor. As a businessman. As a father. As a man who lived this exact struggle. As a human being.

The Solution Is Simple

Secure our border. America has every right to secure its borders.

Deport violent criminals. People who threaten our communities should be held accountable.

Protect due process. Every person deserves to be treated fairly under the law.

Create a fair legal pathway. Hardworking, law-abiding people who have built their lives in America should have the opportunity to earn permanent legal residency.

Do not send families blindly into a humanitarian catastrophe. We must understand the conditions we are sending people back into.

Invest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Instead of only responding to immigration after people arrive at our border, America should help create real economic opportunity closer to home — stronger trade, support for businesses, encouragement for investment, more jobs throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. When people can thrive in their own countries, fewer families will feel forced to leave everything behind.

America can do both. We can protect our borders and protect humanity. We can enforce our laws and still have compassion. We can remove dangerous criminals without treating every immigrant like a criminal. We can be strong without becoming cruel.

Why I'm Running

America has already been at its greatest when strength and compassion work together, and I believe America can secure its borders without closing its heart. If I am elected to Congress, I will work to produce and support legislation that protects our borders, removes dangerous criminals, preserves due process, and creates a fair pathway for hardworking, law-abiding families — because immigration policy should not simply be about politics. It should be about people. That is the kind of leadership I intend to bring to Washington.

This is not just my fight. This is our movement — pastors, families, neighbors, one dollar, five dollars, ten dollars at a time, so that whoever goes to Washington is not bought by corporate money, but sent there by the people.

Service over politics. Solutions over promises.

Call to Action

Register to vote before the October deadline. Vote on November 3rd for Dr. Maxime. If you need to ask your employer for the day off to go vote, do it — this is that important.

Follow the movement at maximeforcongress.com.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. I am Dr. Kedner Maxime, and I approve this message.