Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are seeking to allow Haitian nationals to remain in the U.S. as the country continues to recover from Hurricane Matthew and a cholera epidemic.
The senators, both New York Democrats, asked for the extension of Temporary Protected Status for eligible Haitians in a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly Friday — saying they “do not believe it is safe or humane to deport non-violent Haitian nationals back to Haiti at this time.”
The status would allow Haitian citizens already in the U.S. to stay, seek work and avoid detention by immigration officials.
It’s not a path to citizenship — when the status lapses, the national will return to the immigration status he or she previously held.
“Temporary Protected Status was created for precisely this reason — to offer temporary, humane protection to foreign nationals living in the U.S. when extraordinary conditions make it impossible for them to return home,” the senators wrote.
“We urge you to swiftly consider extending it past the current deadline.”
Amid President Trump’s rhetoric about securing borders, the senators noted the protection does not apply to “criminals” and has “strict eligibility criteria to protect our national security.”
The status is set to expire on July 22, but the country is still grappling with damage to home, schools and buildings as well as the destruction of crops and water systems that have led to an increased vulnerability to cholera.
“We believe this is again the safest route to avoid further burdening the Haitian government in this time of severe distress,” they wrote.
