Forum Mourns Earthquake Tragedy In Haiti

January 13, 2010

Urges President Obama to grant temporary protected status to Haitians living in the US 

Washington, DC – Yesterday, a major catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti, turning much of the Capital, Port-au-Prince, to dust.  It appears that casualties are mounting, and hundreds of thousands of lives are feared lost..  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 hearts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti.  Thousands have already suffered the loss of their loved ones in this latest tragedy.  Many more have not been accounted for.  For many who survived the earthquake, life will be grim as the country digs out and begins the long road to recovery.

We find some consolation that the Administration is acting quickly to mobilize relief efforts to Haiti. We support the latest Immigration and Customs Enforcement announcement that it is halting all deportations of Haitian immigrants for the time being, in light of the devastation caused by yesterday’s earthquake.

These are the right immediate initial responses. But as part of its long term relief effort, the Administration must grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian immigrants who are now in the U.S. TPS is meant to protect nationals of a country that has experienced political turmoil or a natural disaster.  There is no question that the chaos the country is experiencing in the wake of the earthquake qualifies as a reason to grant Temporary Protected Status to Haitians  in the U.S.,.

With TPS, Haitians in the U.S. will be given permission to work, and they can then magnify relief efforts by providing money for their loved ones in Haiti who are now in desperate need..

Advocates for Haitians in the U.S. have been pressing the Administration for months to grant TPS and work authorization to Haitians.  In truth, the earthquake is only the latest natural disaster to strike; the country has suffered a number of hurricanes and floods in recent years.  If there were doubts about whether Haitians merited TPS after those disasters, there is absolutely no doubt now.

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