Vanessa Cárdenas: “Thanks to today’s news, U.S. policy will better align with our proudest values and the short-and-long term interests of the United States in the region.”
Washington, DC – Today, the Biden Administration announced it will extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti for 18 Months. TPS is a renewable relief program that allows individuals to work in the United States with protection from deportation.
In Haiti, the humanitarian conditions have deteriorated significantly, and many have been forced to seek safety, survival and refuge outside of the country. TPS was created by Congress precisely to address this scenario, one in which deporting people back to a country already in chaos would further destabilize matters and put these individuals at immediate risk of violence and/or deprivation.
The following is a statement from Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice, reacting to the news and implications:
“The TPS redesignation for Haiti is long overdue and worth celebrating. Thanks to today’s news, U.S. policy will better align with our proudest values and the short-and-long term interests of the United States in the region.
The redesignation also extends important measures of dignity and stability for Haitians, both those living in the United States and those who will benefit from remittances and a measure of stability in their home country. The deteriorated conditions on the ground in Haiti are a textbook example of why TPS was created in the first place.
We thank the Biden administration for doing the right thing and we hope they will use their TPS authority more aggressively. We also elevate and thank Haitian community leaders and organizations such as the Haitian Bridge Alliance, the Family Action Network Movement and many others. Their fierce advocacy and relentless leadership has helped deliver meaningful relief to thousands. We stand in solidarity with your work.”
