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Washington
D.C. Office:
2244 Rayburn House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202)225-4211
Fax: (202)225-8576
District Office:
8525 Northwest 53rd
Terrace Suite 102
Miami, Florida 33166
Phone: (305)470-8555
Fax: (305)470-8575
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TPS for Haitian People - Diaz-Balarts and Ros-Lehtinen Ask President Bush for TPS for Haitians in the US in the Wake of Deadly Storms
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September 8th, 2008 - Miami, Florida - Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), along with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), today asked President Bush to promptly grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian nationals living in the United States in the wake of the destruction caused by the string of storms that have hit Haiti this hurricane season. TPS is meant to provide nationals from a country who are present in the United States with work permits and safe haven until it is determined that it is safe for them to return to their country.
Following please find the letter sent by the Congressmen to President Bush today:
“Dear Mr. President:
We respectfully request that you promptly grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian nationals in the United States in the aftermath of four deadly storms, hurricanes Ike and Gustav and tropical storms Hannah and Fay.
Haiti was in the midst of recovering from the damage of Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Fay, which caused flooding and mudslides and took numerous lives, when Tropical Storm Hannah came ashore earlier this week and caused widespread devastation on the island country. According to press reports over 130 Haitians died in the deluge that inundated the country, over half the homes in Gonaives, one of Haiti’s largest cities, were flooded and vital infrastructure such as bridges were destroyed. This same city is still recovering from Tropical Storm Jeanne, which hit the area in 2004 and killed over 3,000. As of Friday it was reported that over 54,000 Haitians were living in emergency shelters and many were going without food and water.
As you know the Government of Haiti does not possess the necessary resources to provide basic services let alone adequately provide for its citizens after this string of natural disasters hit the country. The situation may become even worse as the torrential winds and rains from Hurricane Ike continue to drench the already flooded country and cause further damage and loss of life in Haiti.
Congress established TPS as safe haven for those foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their home country due to ongoing armed conflict or because of an environmental disaster.
Clearly the destruction caused by these four storms in Haiti is one that does not allow the safe return of Haitian nationals to their country and as such we strongly believe the Administration should provide TPS to the Haitian nationals currently in the United States.
Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.
Cordially,
Lincoln Diaz-Balart Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Mario Diaz-Balart"
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30th - 
8th - 