APPLAUDS NAMING OF PRESIDENT CLINTON AS UN ENVOY TO HAITI

Washington, DC--Congressman Eliot Engel said he wrote to President Barack Obama requesting Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals in the United States. In addition, Rep. Engel hosted Haitian-American actor and Goodwill Ambassador for Haiti, Jimmy Jean-Louis, star of the television show Heroes, in his office on Tuesday to discuss vital issues facing Haiti and the appointment of President Bill Clinton as U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti.

“There are currently 30,000 Haitian nationals who have been threatened with deportation. Haiti is still trying to recover from four hurricanes which ravaged the country from August to September 2008, destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, and obliterated Haiti’s agricultural crops. Sending tens of thousands of people back to Haiti under these circumstances is unfathomable. Haiti is already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and the United States has a special responsibility to help our neighbor in this time of crisis,” said Rep. Engel, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

TPS has been granted to nationals from countries which have been hit hard by natural disasters. It has not been extended to Haitians living in the United States, despite the fact that economic and social conditions are worse in Haiti. Nationals of El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua have rightfully been granted TPS. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated the Obama Administration is currently reviewing the question of TPS for Haitian nationals.

Twenty-five members of Congress cosigned the letter to President Obama calling for TPS for Haitians in the U.S.
Rep. Engel continued, “I am very pleased with the news of President Clinton serving his country yet again, this time as the United Nations’ Special Envoy to Haiti. It is an understatement to say that he is aware of the issues facing Haiti – he was responsible for restoring stability to Haiti in the 1990s. There are few people in the world more qualified than President Clinton to take this position, and I look forward to closely working with him on the many issues affecting U.S.-Haiti relations.”

Mr. Jean-Louis urged Congress to focus attention on human trafficking, especially among children, as part of an overall focus on tackling severe human rights abuses. “I commend Jimmy Jean-Louis for the humanitarian work he is doing for the people of Haiti. Lending his star power to the betterment of Haitians is something to be admired. Together we will work towards providing a lasting solution for the people of Haiti,” said Rep. Engel.