Congressman Charles B. Rangel released the following statement today after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that Haitian nationals in the United States as of January 12, 2010, will be granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The 30,000 undocumented Haitian immigrants will now be allowed to live and work in this country for 18 months, in light of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti this week:
“Today, the 30,000 Haitian nationals who have been contributing to this country as hard-working, law-abiding taxpayers can continue to do so without the specter of deportation hanging over their heads. I thank President Obama and Secretary Napolitano for this humanitarian gesture, allowing our Haitian brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends, many of whom have been among us for several years, to remain here, work hard, and contribute to the efforts of rebuilding their homeland while in America.
I have long advocated granting TPS to undocumented Haitian immigrants, in view of the unstable political, social, and economic status of the country. The idea of sending thousands of refugees into such a desperate situation is so inhumane as to be unthinkable. But it would have been particularly unkind and ill-advised to have threatened deportation in light of the unprecedented devastation the country has faced following the earthquake that struck the island nation Tuesday.
Just this week, I along with members of the New York Congressional delegation and several other colleagues in Congress sent letters to the president urging him to halt deportations and grant Haitian nationals TPS. I am pleased the president has responded swiftly and compassionately, alleviating the fears of the many Haitian immigrants whose futures had been uncertain. We can now return to the important work of rebuilding Haiti and helping the Haitian people recover from this tragedy.”
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