Monday, November 20, 2017

Action Alert: Haitians and TPS

The Department of Homeland Security is required to make a decision to terminate or extend Temporary Protected Statue (TPS) for Haiti by November 23, 2017

What is TPS?  TPS is a temporary, renewable, and statutorily authorized immigration status that allows individuals to remain and work lawfully in the U.S. during a period in which it is deemed unsafe for nationals of that country to return home.

Why should TPS be extended for Haiti?  From September 4-7, a delegation from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to analyze the need for extension of TPS for Haitian nationals living in the United States.  (Currently, TPS is set to expire for them on January 22, 2018.)  The extensive report of their journey is available here.  The delgation's conclusion was:  "Haiti is in no position to accommodate the return of the estimated 50,000 Haitians who have received TPS. Doing so would potentially destabilize the small nation, derail its path to recovery, and possibly harm those returned, particularly the uprooted children.  In addition, terminating TPS would needless create a large unauthorized population in the U.S. and contribute to unauthorized re-migration."

What can we do?  The USCCB urges action prior to the November 23 decision.  "Justice for Immigrants" (part of the USCCB) has provided this petition to urge continued protection for Haitians while their country continues to recover.

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