US bishops welcome Trump administration's reprieve for Haitian migrants

Washington D.C., May 23, 2017 / 15:38 pm

The Trump administration's decision to allow 50,000 Haitian earthquake victims to remain in the United States prompted gratitude from the U.S. bishops' conference, which stressed the need for continued work to aid Haitians here and in their home country.

"While this extension is helpful, it still leaves many Haitian families in the United States in an insecure and vulnerable position, particularly with respect to ensuring legal work authorization," Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, chairman of the U.S. bishops' migration committee, said May 23.

The Department of Homeland Security's decision extended the Obama administration's protections for Haitians who had arrived in the U.S. within a year of the massive 2010 earthquake. They may remain with work authorizations until January 2018.

Sources in the department told Reuters that Secretary John Kelly of the Department of Homeland Security believes that conditions in Haiti are improving, but Haitians in the U.S. still need protections.

At the same time, there is no commitment to extending protections past January. Officials recommended that Haitians with temporary protective status begin seeking travel documents to return to Haiti.

In a May 23 letter to Secretary Kelly, Bishop Vasquez said that extending temporary protective status serves an important humanitarian role by promoting the safety and stability of Haitian families in the U.S.

"We encourage our government to work proactively with the Haitian government to provide life-saving aid and recovery assistance," he said. "Haiti will continue to struggle to receive back those who are temporarily protected, even those who may be returned in the near future."

The bishop said that Catholic service networks in the U.S. will continue to aid Haitian families and the rebuilding process in Haiti. These networks will also look for opportunities to collaborate with the Church in Haiti and with the U.S. and Haitian governments.

The earthquake killed an estimated 220,000 people and affected over 3.5 million more.

Temporary protected status may be provided to citizens of countries that are suffering from severe violence, disease and natural disasters. At present countries designated for that status include Sudan, Somalia, Syria, El Salvador, Nepal, and Yemen, Reuters reports.