WASHINGTON, D.C. – FWD.us President Todd Schulte and Ted Hutchinson, FWD.us Regional Government Relations Director, issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s decision to redesignate and extend Haiti for Temporary Protection Status (TPS). TPS offers temporary relief from removal and access to work permits for eligible foreign nationals who are unable to return safely to their home countries due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions:
“We commend the Biden administration for acknowledging the worsening crisis in Haiti and, through this TPS redesignation, recognizing that the U.S. government should not be returning Haitians to their home country right now,” said FWD.us President Todd Schulte.
“As the crisis in Haiti continues to deteriorate, TPS provides life-saving protections for so many Haitian nationals in our communities, allowing them to stay together and safe with their families. Haitian TPS recipients have already filled critical workforce needs for the U.S. and contribute $4.4 billion to our economy every year.
“We want to thank so many allies and partners, including the Haitian Bridge Alliance, Family Action Network Movement, Florida Immigrant Coalition, UndocuBlack Network, and others, whose leadership and advocacy with and for the Haitian and Haitian-American communities helped make this necessary redesignation possible. We celebrate them and this win together.
“This decision is an important reminder that TPS is one of the President’s most effective legal authorities and is enshrined in statute. His administration should build on this impactful decision and offer protection to people from more countries that meet the statutory requirements for protections, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ecuador, and Guatemala.”
Ted Hutchinson, FWD.us Regional Government Relations Director, added:
“The redesignation and extension of TPS for Haiti is a critical step to protect families and communities across the entire U.S. — particularly in Florida, where Haitians are our friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Today’s announcement means that families across Florida and our entire country can stay safe and together.”