President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20500

The Honorable Antony Blinken
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
3801 Nebraska Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20395

May 18, 2021

Re: Redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status

Dear President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Secretary Mayorkas:

On behalf of the steering committee of the We Are Home campaign, a nationwide campaign to fight for immigrant communities, we request the redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) for 18 months due to current extraordinary and temporary conditions in the country.

Immediate action to redesignate Haiti is urgent in light of the country’s current political and humanitarian crisis. In its most recent World Report, Human Rights Watch reported that Haiti is facing “one of the worst outbreaks of violence since 1986,” with “[p]rotracted political instability and gang violence in 2020 — often with state ties — contribut[ing] to the Haitian government’s inability to meet the basic needs of its people, resolve long-standing human rights problems, and address humanitarian crises.” Country conditions have only become more dire this year, as the country has faced rising fears of authoritarianism, increasing violence, and acute food insecurity. In April, the State Department issued a “do not travel” advisory for Haiti.  

Redesignation of Haiti for TPS would protect Haitians in the United States from being returned to conditions of extreme danger and would prevent further instability in the country. As a candidate in 2020, President Biden promised to support the Haitian community in the U.S., and make sure the community has “an even shot of getting back on its feet.” Candidate Biden singled out support for Haitian TPS holders specifically. This support was a clear contrast to racist comments by President Trump denigrating Haitians, and to the Trump Administration’s termination of TPS for Haiti in the face of internal analysis regarding dangerous country conditions there. 

Tens of thousands of Haitians in the U.S. have lived and worked in the U.S. with TPS for more than 10 years, contributing to communities here and also helping to support the stability of families in Haiti. Many TPS recipients from Haiti and other countries have served in essential worker roles during the pandemic, in health care, grocery stores, transportation, and other industries, playing a crucial role in this country’s response and recovery.

It is thus all the more urgent that President Biden keep his promises to the Haitian community, continue to take steps to fulfill the Administration’s commitment to racial equity, and redesignate Haiti for TPS immediately to support families and communities in the U.S. and in Haiti. 

For questions, please contact We Are Home Campaign Director Bridgette Gomez at bridgette@wearehome.us.

Sincerely,

We Are Home Steering Committee Members  

America’s Voice

CASA

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)

Community Change/Action

Detention Watch Network

FIRM/Action

FWD.us

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)

Immigration Hub

LA RED/Faith in Action

Make the Road New York

Mijente

NAKASEC

National Domestic Workers Alliance

National Immigration Law Center

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

UFW Foundation

UNITE HERE

UndocuBlack Network

UnidosUS

United Farm Workers (UFW)

United We Dream 

 

cc:   Ambassador Susan Rice, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy

         Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor

         Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, U.S. Homeland Security Advisor