Rick Scott

'Where are you? You can't duck this. This is a moral layup,' the Rev. RB Holmes said.

Clergy and activists held a "pray-in" in Tallahassee to urge senators to extend deportation protections for Haitians.

Advocates are pressing Florida officials and candidates to publicly state their position on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians.

Organizers framed the debate as a moral and human rights issue, not a partisan one.

Standing on the steps of the federal courthouse that houses a district office of Sen. Rick Scott in Tallahassee, the Rev. R.B. Holmes Jr. challenged Florida's elected officials and candidates to publicly declare where they stand on deportation protections for Haitians, arguing that voters deserve answers before heading to the polls for the November election.

Joined by clergy members, civil rights advocates and elderly community activists on Sept. 22, Holmes held a "pray-in" to urge Scott and Sen. Ashley Moody to support legislation extending Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitians through April 2029.

The lead pastor at the historic Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Holmes said he organized the pray-in at Scott's office after neither Scott nor Moody had responded to a July letter asking them to state their position on TPS. Requests for comments are pending with both Scott's and Moody's offices.

Pressing senators to respond

"Since they did not respond, we came here to have a little talk with Jesus," Holmes said as federal marshals observed the pray-in from a plaza overlooking the protest.

"We're here for several divine and theological and moral reasons," Holmes said. "This country is 250 years old. We cannot go back on our promise to be the land of freedom."

The demonstration focused on H.R. 1689, legislation approved by the U.S. House that would extend TPS protections for Haitians. Holmes said congressional action was urgent because conditions have worsened in Haiti, whose infrastructure and civil society were broken by a 2010 earthquake.

The fight over TPS is also emerging as a potential issue in the 2026 midterm elections. Holmes and other clergy members said they are pressing candidates for federal and state office to publicly state whether they support extending protections for Haitians.

"Tell us where you stand," Holmes said. "If you want to be our governor, if you want to be our senator, this is a defining moment. Where are you? You can't duck this. This is a moral layup. This is about compassion. This is about the American dream."

Holmes said neither Scott nor Moody responded to the July letter, but people "affiliated" with Moody had called to discuss scheduling a possible conversation with the senator about extending TPS protections.

Clergy frames debate as a moral issue

The pray-in drew support from clergy across denominations.

"I'm here because Haitians have been welcomed as refugees and this nation has a long history of welcoming people." said Rev. Richard Wilson, a retired pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church. "And I'm here because somebody's decided we will just kick everybody out who's not like us, and they haven't decided who is like us yet."

Nearly three dozen activists, mostly elderly carrying canes, in wheelchairs, blue jeans, and plaid shirts, recited prayers of compassion, commitment, courage and conviction during the 50-minute-long pray-in.

Congress created TPS in 1990 to provide temporary deportation relief and work authorization for people from countries affected by armed conflict and natural disasters.

Haiti first received TPS designation after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Immigration advocates estimate that roughly 158,000 Haitians in Florida have been affected by the decision to end TPS protections. Holmes said conditions in Haiti have deteriorated, making deportations particularly troubling.

Senate race highlights TPS divide

Scott has not publicly expressed concern about conditions in Haiti but has not endorsed the House-passed extension and has argued Congress should pursue broader immigration reforms that allows immigrants who cannot safely return home to remain in the United States.

Moody was appointed to the Senate last year after Marco Rubio became secretary of state. She has not publicly endorsed the House-passed TPS extension but, according to WLRN, has discussed with Trump administration officials deciding TPS on a case-by-case basis.

Moody's positions contrasts sharply with her Democratic challenger Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville.

Nixon has called for renewing and expanding TPS and creating a pathway to citizenship for immigrants covered by the program. Following an ICE sweep across Florida in September, Nixon accused federal officials of unfairly targeting Haitian Americans.

"Immigrant rights are human rights," Nixon said, criticizing Moody for supporting policies that could result in deportations.

At the Sept. 22 gathering, Holmes framed the debate in moral rather than partisan terms.

"This should not be about Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal," said Holmes, a long-time registered Republican who switched to no-party-affiliation under the DeSantis administration. "This is about people. This is about families. These are our neighbors."

With the House-approved TPS extension stalled in the Senate, Holmes said the question facing elected officials is becoming increasingly direct: "Where do you stand on our Haitian neighbors?"