MIAMI — A news conference was hosted Tuesday by the Family Action Network in response to a recent decision by the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living in the U.S.
The event was held at the Little Haiti Cultural Center located on 59th Terrace in Miami.
It was last week, on the day before Thanksgiving, when the Department of Homeland Security put out a federal notice that stated, “Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS,” and that, “allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests.”
Several local Haitian advocacy groups were represented at Tuesday’s news conference, as well as others like Catholic Legal Services.
The message at the conference was that the decision is unfair to Haitians who are valuable members of the community and contributors to the American economy. Speakers also said the decision does not reflect conditions on the ground in Haiti, a country that continues to experience gang violence, humanitarian tragedies, and political instability.
One speaker said sending back 350,000 Haitians by stripping them of their TPS rights will only embolden gangs, sending in a vulnerable group of people, making them targets for kidnapping and extortion.
Another woman said she’s lived in the U.S. for 20 years and called on the president and others to reverse their decision.
Former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness also spoke, calling on local lawmakers to take a stand for their constituents.
“This abusive behavior toward immigrants must end,” he said. “In Miami-Dade County, 40% of the population are foreign-born. In Broward County, more than 30%. We have elected leaders here: Congressman (Carlos) Gimenez, (Mario) Diaz-Balart, (Maria) Salazar. Where is your voice? Where is your voice for the people that you represent here in Miami-Dade County? You all should be standing up. You all should not be afraid. It’s not the president who put you in office.”
There were also calls for the public to protest and take to the streets over the decision, and also calling on any one in the legal field to volunteer their services; not only immigration lawyers, but also those who handle wills and trusts, family law and guardianships, all things that those who will have to leave the country may need to get their affairs in order.
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