To hear audio recording of this press call, please click here.
Washington, D.C. — In recent weeks, news outlets reported that the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, is considering ending temporary protections for approximately 50,000 Haitians in the United States by January 2018, despite the fact that the country is still struggling to recover from the 2010 earthquake that devastated it, as well as from Hurricane Matthew, which set the nation’s recovery back just six months ago. In the aftermath of the earthquake, tens of thousands of Haitians were granted Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, which permits them to live and work in the United States. Despite the recommendation, there is bipartisan support for extending, not terminating, these protections, as seen in this letter by members of the Florida congressional delegation and this letter by Senate Democrats.
Today, 416 faith leaders and organizations sent a letter to DHS Secretary John Kelly urging him to extend TPS for at least 18 months, and tomorrow, the Congressional Black Caucus is sending a letter to President Donald Trump that calls for the extension of TPS as well as the redesignation of TPS to permit more Haitians living in the United States to receive protections while the fragile nation struggles to recover fully.
To discuss these letters and the latest developments, please join the Center for American Progress Action Fund for a press call this Tuesday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m. ET with Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY); Leon Rodriguez, former Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, during the Obama administration; Dr. Paul Farmer, Harvard Medical School; and Rev. Dr. Philius Nicolas.
To hear audio recording of this press call, please click here.
WHO:
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Leon Rodriguez, former Director, USCIS; Partner, Seyfarth Shaw
Dr. Paul Farmer, Kolokotrones University Professor, Harvard University; Chair, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Chief, Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Co-founder and Chief Strategist, Partners In Health
Reverend Dr. Philius Nicolas, Founder, Evangelical Crusade of Fishers of Men, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Antoinette Pierre-Louis, Esq, Director of Legal Counsel for NAAHP
Moderator:
Tom Jawetz, Vice President of Immigration Policy, Center for American Progress Action Fund
WHEN:
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
10:30 a.m. ET – 11:30 a.m. ET