As a Miami immigration lawyer and an Austin immigration lawyer who represents numerous Haitian clients, I was disappointed to hear that Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly only granted a six-month extension Monday to 58,000 Haitian immigrants who have been spared from deportation since a devastating 2010 earthquake, saying the conditions in their struggling homeland are not stable enough to force them to return. Below are some frequently asked questions about the TPS (Temporary Protected Status) extension.
When will TPS terminate for Haitian nationals?
Kelly said the Haitians, whose permission to stay in the United States was to end in July, may now stay until Jan. 22. He said he would monitor conditions in the Caribbean nation, but he added that the Haitian immigrants should prepare to return home next year. If you have any questions in regard to this, you should speak with a Miami immigration lawyer or an Austin immigration lawyer.
Why did the Homeland Security Secretary only extend TPS for 6 additional months?
According to Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, he believes that “there are indications that Haiti — if its recovery from the 2010 earthquake continues at pace — may not warrant further . . . extension past January 2018,” Kelly said in a statement. If you have any questions in regard to this, you should speak with a Miami immigration lawyer or an Austin immigration lawyer.
What has the reaction been to this news of TPS extension for Haitian nationals for only 6 months?
The announcement did not please advocates on either side of the immigration debate. It foreshadowed the battles to come next year, when the Trump administration will decide the fate of about 263,000 people from El Salvador, whose temporary protected status expires in March. Protection for about 86,000 Hondurans is set to end in January. If you have any questions in regard to this, you should speak with a Miami immigration lawyer or an Austin immigration lawyer.
What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?
Temporary Protected Status is a Homeland Security program that grants short-term work permits and reprieves from deportation to immigrants from nations upended by disaster, epidemics or war. Haitians received the status after the 2010 earthquake killed hundreds of thousands of people; it was renewed as their homeland grappled with a cholera epidemic, food shortages and acute poverty. If you have any questions in regard to this, you should speak with a Miami immigration attorney or an Austin immigration attorney.
Trump reached out to Haitian immigrants last year on the campaign trail. This month, however, the Associated Press revealed that a top immigration official was searching for crime and other statistics on Haitian immigrants, sparking fears that the administration was building a case to end temporary protection. In addition, the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, said six months is not enough time for Haiti to recover from the “sledgehammer blows” it has suffered. If you have any questions in regard to this, you should speak with a Miami immigration lawyer or an Austin immigration lawyer.
How has the 2010 earthquake affected Haiti?
There was widespread devastation in Haiti. The Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake killed more than 200,000 people and destroyed much of the infrastructure. The cholera epidemic has sickened 800,000 people and killed over 9,000 Haitians. Last October, Hurricane Matthew wiped out crops and livestock and sparked a shortage of food and potable water. If you have any questions in regard to this, you should speak with a Miami immigration lawyer or an Austin immigration lawyer.
If you would like more information on TPS, obtaining a green card, deportation defense, or obtaining U.S. citizenship, please contact Miami immigration lawyer and Austin immigration lawyer Michael G. Murray, Esq. at (305) 895-2500 or visit our website at www.mmurraylaw.com.