UPDATE:  Haitians Granted Temporary Protected Status!!  Read the press release.

January 14, 2010

(Scroll down for Creole and Spanish translations)

Action
Send a letter to President Obama and urge him to immediately grant TPS for Haiti.

Issue
On January 12 Haiti was a hit by a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The quake hit close to the capital city of Port Au Prince, affecting up to three million people according to the Red Cross. Details of the human cost are still unclear but some estimates put the death toll in the tens of thousands.

Background
Mennonite Central Committee is responding to the disaster through emergency aid and the U.S. government, along with other aid agencies, has pledged support to the Haitian people.

President Obama in a speech on Wednesday morning said, "Let me just say that this is a time when we are reminded of the common humanity that we all share. With just a few hundred miles of ocean between us and a long history that binds us together, Haitians are neighbors of the Americas and here at home. So we have to be there for them in their hour of need."

In addition to emergency relief efforts, the U.S. government can take another important step to help the Haitian people in their "hour of need." The Obama administration can immediately grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians already in the United States. TPS would allow immigrants who are unable to safely return to their home country - because of ongoing conflict, natural disaster or other extraordinary conditions - to extend their stay in the United States on a temporary basis.

In 2008, tropical storm Gustav and hurricanes Hanna and Ike caused more than $1 billion in damages in Haiti - the equivalent of 15% of the country's GDP - destroying crops, washing out roads and bridges and killing an estimated 800 people. According to USAID, approximately 35,000-40,000 people were left homeless and over 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Haiti has still not recovered from these storms and the earthquake just compounds the problem.

Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants already living in the United States will help in the recovery effort. There are an estimated 30,000 Haitians in the U.S. facing the threat of deportation. TPS status would allow them to apply for temporary work authorization and the money they send home would assist in Haiti's recovery.

Action
Send a letter to President Obama and urge him to immediately grant TPS for Haiti.

Creole

Prezidan Obama nan yon diskou mèkredi maten nan te di, “Sa se yon tan lè nou sonje limanite komen nou ke nou tout ap pataje. Genyen sèlman kèk ti kilomèt di mè ant de peyi nou yo, e genyen yon istwa long ki fè nou kole ansanm—Ayisyen yo se vwazen nou nan Amerik yo. Se pou tèt sa fò nou la pou yo nan lè bezwen yo a.”

Anplis efò ijans yo, gouvenman Ozetazini a ka pran yon lòt mach trè enpòtan pou ede pèp Ayiti nan “lè bezwen yo a.” Gouvenman Obama ka imedyatman bay Temporary Protected Status (TPS) a Ayisyen ki deja Ozetazini. TPS ta pèmèt imigran yo ki pa ka tounen peyi lakay yo ansekirite—akòz konfli, dezas ou lòt kondisyon ekstrawòdinè yo—pou ret Ozetazini sou baz pwoviswa.

Send a letter to President Obama.

Spanish

El Presidente Obama en su discurso el miércoles dijo, "déjame decir que este es un momento que nos recuerda de la humanidad común que todos compartimos. Con tan sólo unas cientos de millas de océano entre nosotros y una larga historia que nos une, los haitianos son vecinos de las Américas y de aquí de casa.  Por eso tenemos que estar ahí para ellos en la hora de necesidad".

Además de los esfuerzos de emergencia, el Gobierno de los Estados Unidos puede dar otro paso importante para ayudar al pueblo Haitiano en su "hora de necesidad". La administración de Obama puede conceder inmediatamente un Estado de Protección Temporal (TPS) para haitianos que ya están en los  Estados Unidos.  TPS permitiría a los inmigrantes que no pueden regresar con seguridad a su país de origen – por causa de conflicto, desastre natural u otras condiciones extraordinarias – para extender su estancia en los Estados Unidos de forma temporal.

Send a letter to President Obama.

Alert prepared by Theo Sitther, Legislative Associate for International Affairs and Tammy Alexander, Legislative Associate for Domestic Affairs.