For Your Consideration

A message from Catholics United, for your consideration:

For the past few days, we have watched in horror as the people of Haiti suffer a great deal. The fact that Haiti was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere makes this week's earthquake all the more painful. Tens of millions of dollars are pouring into worthy charities. Governments appear to be mobilizing. Hopefully it is soon enough.

One issue that still needs immediate attention is the status of Haitians in the United States. Already, the White House has "paused" deportations of Haitian refugees. The next step is to grant Haitians the immigration protections offered to victims of war or disaster - what is known as Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Will you take just one moment to sign our Emergency Petition to President Obama for Haitian Refugees? To sign the petition, click here.

TPS is granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to refugees who cannot safely return to their home country because of armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.

This policy change has taken place before - in El Salvador, Honduras, Somalia, and Sudan. And unlike so many other issues, the president can do it himself. President Obama should instruct the Department of Homeland Security to grant Temporary Protected Status to undocumented Haitians in the United States. This will protect them from forcible deportation back to Haiti, allow them to work legally, and start the process of rebuilding and healing.

A fundamental tenet of Catholic Social Teaching is care for the immigrant. That is the lesson of the story of the Good Samaritan and the stranger on the Road to Jericho. Some 80% of Haitians are Catholic. While there is a need for immigration reform on a much larger scale, the urgency of the crisis in Haiti demands immediate action.

Click here to sign the petition.

We're also urging other Catholic groups and the Catholic Church itself to join our call to action. Please sign. We'll keep you up to date on what is going on.