Immigration

Haitian protestors chanted and waved signs in response to Trump’s disparaging comments about Haiti and all the 43 African countries in front of the U.S embassy in Port-Au-Prince. In addition to his comments, Trump Administration has said that as of July 2019, Haitians who have been allowed to stay and work in the United States under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are expected to leave the country. So fight back today! Call your Senators and Representatives (or the Congressional Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 and say where you live). When you reach your Senator or Representatives’ office, relay this simple message: I am deeply concerned about President Trump’s remarks about Haiti and other countries. But I am more concerned about the termination of Temporary Protected Status that threatens 50,000 Haitians and their families. I urge you to stand up for my values by publicly […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Steven Forester, Immigration Policy Coordinator, Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), steveforester@aol.com, +1 (786) 877-6999 Brian Concannon Jr., Excutive Director, Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), brian@ijdh.org, +1 (617) 652-0876 DHS Distorts Law and Precedent to Ignore Glaring Facts on Haiti TPS Advocates call decision on Temporary Protected Status for Haitians disingenuous, vow to continue fight The Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), an advocacy group that supports equal treatment of Haitians in the United States, criticized the November 20 decision of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. The decision was based on a finding that the “temporary conditions caused by the 2010 earthquake no longer exist.” Unconscionably, DHS refused to consider massive blows that struck Haiti after the earthquake that make it unsafe for Haitians to […]

On November 23, 2017, a decision is expected to be made regarding extending TPS for nearly 60,000 Haitians for an additional 18 months. These Haitian nationals have been granted the opportunity to live and work in the U.S. as Haiti continues to recover from a number of natural disasters since the 2010 earthquake and a cholera epidemic brought by UN Peacekeepers. Currently, Haiti is suffering from a food crisis, accessibility to clean water, and a loss in housing and infrastructure. To have thousands of Haitians return back to Haiti while the country is recovering and rebuilding can cause more harm than good. An end to TPS will create “a life-threatening humanitarian crisis” and will rip families apart. Read full report HERE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Steven Forester, Immigration Policy Coordinator,Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, steveforester@aol.com, + (786)-877-6999 Brian Concannon Jr Executive Director, Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti brian@ijdh.org , +(617) 652-0876 Experts Call State Department’s Haiti TPS Assessment Divorced From Reality (Boston, November 6,2017) — Experts on Haiti from the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti today called a reported rosy assessment of conditions in Haiti from Secretary of State Tillerson at odds with the facts on the ground. The Washington Post reported Friday that Sec. Tillerson sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stating that conditions in Haiti and Central America no longer warrant Temporary Protected Status (TPS). DHS must announce its decision on TPS renewal for Haiti by November 23. “The fact that Haiti still suffers from recent extraordinary and temporary conditions […]

The 2010 earthquake that nearly destroyed Haiti and resulted in debilitating effects led the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to thousands of Haitians. Haiti began to make strides in its efforts to recover from the earthquake, when it was once again ravaged by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. The storm was the most powerful hurricane to hit Haiti in over a century and drastically impaired the its southern peninsula. In addition to these natural disasters, the country is dealing with an uncontrolled cholera epidemic that was introduced by United Nations peacekeeping soldiers. Taking all of this into account, it is obviously clear that the “conditions that led DHS to designate Haiti for TPS continue to exist” and in fact, have worsened. Therefore, “it is in the best interest not only of Haiti, but also the United […]

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE October 26, 2017, 12:01 EDT Extraordinary Conditions in Haiti Make Deporting Thousands from the U.S. Unsafe New Report Urges 18-Month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians (New York, October 26, 2017)— Haiti is not currently able to safely accommodate the return of thousands of Haitians in the United States with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), according to Extraordinary Conditions: A Statutory Analysis of Haiti’s Qualifications for TPS, a report released today by the Global Justice Clinic at New York University (NYU) School of Law. The report describes extraordinary conditions that persist in Haiti—including the impact of cholera, which continues to sicken and kill Haitian people, homelessness caused by natural disasters, and a spike in extreme hunger—that prevent the country from safely welcoming the 50,000 TPS holders and their families currently living in the United States. The report comes at a critical time. The Department […]