June 28, 2024
Contact: Paige Censale, pcensale@haitianbridge.org 

(Kreyòl ayisyen anba a)

San Diego, California – Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) commends the Biden-Harris administration’s action to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This vital decision provides much-needed relief and stability to thousands of Haitians who have sought refuge in the United States. We thank our partners, advocates, members of Congress, all other elected officials, and brave impacted community members for urging the administration to take this crucial step. 

It was a long fought battle. In March, HBA and 481 immigration, human rights, faith-based, and civil rights organizations sent a letter to the Biden administration urging the extension and redesignation of Haiti for TPS and a moratorium on deportations. In May, we raised our voices in Washington, DC and collaborated with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, CBC and the Haitian caucus for a congressional press conference. In June, we gathered several videos from TPS holders whose lives and families, like many others in this country, are at risk if TPS is not redesignated and extended. This doesn’t just happen. It is the result of organized, courageous community members and allies turning this dream into reality.

As we celebrate TPS Extension redesignation, we encourage the Biden administration to take the natural next step to cease deportation flights to Haiti immediately. By accepting these deportation flights, the state of Haiti knowingly condemns the most vulnerable due to imminent danger. Deportations to Haiti from the United States are intentional violence and blatant disregard for Haitian lives and deeply rooted in anti-Black discrimination.

Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, released the following statement:

“Extending and redesignating TPS is the right course of action considering that TPS-eligible individuals contribute nearly $31 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Haitian TPS recipients contribute $4.4 billion to the American economy in 2022. However, this is only a temporary measure. I call on the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that would create a pathway to permanent protection for all TPS recipients. A long-term solution is urgently needed to provide stability and security for these individuals who have already proven to be vital members of our communities and economy. It’s time for our leaders to recognize their contributions and ensure they have the opportunity to integrate and thrive in the United States fully.”

The country is faced with a humanitarian and insecurity crisis where more than 1,100 people have been killed, injured, or kidnapped in Haiti, where gangs now still control 80 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Armed groups use sexual assault and rape to terrorize the population, blocking trade and aid routes, and shutting down schools. Criminal groups have cut off access to food, clean water, health care, and electricity. Half the country eats just one meal a day, three million children need immediate humanitarian aid, and the conflict is spreading north to Haiti’s breadbasket, threatening the food supply for the entire country.

While we applaud the administration’s redesignation, we also urge the administration to:

1. Halt all deportations/repatriations by land, sea or air to Haiti.
2. Immediately release detained Haitians, support administrative closure of removal cases.
3. Expedite processing for the Haitian Family Reunification Program and the Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) parole program
4. Ensure U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues a new Federal Register Notice extending TPS work authorization for current TPS holders well before August 4, 2024, to avoid disruption of employment eligibility. 
5. Reconsider sending of Haitian nationals to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
6. Support strong and sustainable infrastructure in Haiti, including agriculture, education, healthcare, modern roads, and other constructions and economic development for Haitians to thrive in Haiti. 
7. Reconsider foreign policy that leads to the further destabilization of the country, thus increasing irregular migration.
8. We also call for swift actions for communities and countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Honduras many other who are in dire need of TPS