WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Biden Administration redesignated and extended its 2021 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti. FWD.us Florida Director Ted Hutchinson issued the following statement on the redesignation and extension:

“The Biden Administration’s announcement of the redesignation and extension of TPS for Haiti is welcome news that will save countless lives and keep families and communities safe and together. Haiti is in the middle of multiple humanitarian crises including severe political instability, widespread violence, famine and a cholera health emergency. Today’s announcement will ensure that Haitian nationals in the United States are not forced to return to these dangerous and deadly conditions. Instead, these individuals will have the opportunity to remain safely in the American communities they call home without the threat of deportation, and with their families that include almost 200,000 U.S. citizens.

“Thank you to the Haitian community and Black-led immigrant rights organizations including Haitian Bridge Alliance, Family Action Network Movement, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, UndocuBlack Network and Black Alliance for Just Immigration, who have fought tirelessly to protect the lives of Haitian people in the U.S. and beyond, and for their work to keep American families and communities together. It’s imperative that the Biden Administration take additional steps to protect Black immigrants in the United States including designating Mauritania for TPS. Members of Congress have repeatedly called on the Biden Administration to designate TPS for the country due to the widespread enslavement and forced statelessness of the Black population in the country. Today’s redesignation is a reminder that the administration has the tools to provide critical relief, and we urge them to continue these life-saving measures, including a TPS designation for Mauritania without delay.