Forum Applauds Department of Homeland Security Decision to Grant TPS to Haitians

January 15, 2010

Washington, DC – This week, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti killing thousands and nearly destroying the capital. The Department of Homeland Security has just announced it will grant Temporary Protected Status to eligible Haitian nationals in the U.S. The following is a statement by Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, a non-partisan, non-profit pro-immigrant advocacy organization in Washington.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Haitian people as relief efforts pour into the earthquake-ravaged country. Today, there was some good news as the Obama administration announced that it will grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian immigrants living in the United States. TPS is meant to protect nationals of a country that has experienced political turmoil or a natural disaster. This decision permits Haitians in the U.S. to gain work authorization and work legally, thus allowing them to send desperately needed remittances to their family and friends whose lives and homes were destroyed by the earthquake.

This compassionate gesture is part of the U.S.’s long-term earthquake relief and recognition that returning immigrants to Haiti at this time would jeopardize their personal safety and cause even greater chaos. We thank the Administration for acting so quickly to provide relief efforts to Haiti and for promptly reaching a fair and humane decision to allow Haitians in the U.S. to stay while their country rebuilds from a horrible disaster.