Protected status urged for illegal immigrants
With Haiti in ruins, advocates for illegal immigrants and more than a dozen members of Congress have renewed longstanding calls for the U.S. government to allow Haitians living illegally in this country to stay here and work — possibly for years. They want President Obama to grant Haitian nationals what is known as “temporary protected status,” which prevents authorities from deporting illegal immigrants from selected countries devastated by natural disasters, military conflicts and other problems.
In the wake of Tuesday’s earthquake, the government announced it would temporarily halt deportations to Haiti. But it gave no indication it would grant TPS to more widely protect Haitians here illegally. A statement issued yesterday by President Obama on U.S. relief efforts in Haiti made no mention of TPS.
“TPS is in the range of considerations we consider in a disaster but our focus remains on saving lives,” Matt Chandler, deputy press sectary for the Department of Homeland Security, said in an e-mail.
Eligibility is restricted to immigrants with no more than one misdemeanor conviction and who were already in this country when the TPS for their country was offered. The government can revoke TPS when conditions improve in a country, though it is often renewed.
As of yesterday, the United States was granting TPS to qualifying citizens of five countries: El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Sudan. Advocates for immigrants have long argued Haiti should be that list, given the extent of hurricane damage in 2004 and 2008.
“They should have done it after the hurricanes,” said Joyce Phipps, an immigration lawyer from Bound Brook. “Nobody seems to care that this nation has gone through so much tragedy and is so utterly impoverished. It’s a moral disgrace that this government has not issued temporary protected status to the Haitians.”
TPS, which allows qualified immigrants to work legally, would increase the amount of money Haitian workers can send home to families mired in poverty, she said.
U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez from New Jersey were among 15 senators who signed a letter to President Obama on Wednesday urging the move.
SOURCE : NJ.com - January 15, 2009 - Jeff Diamant, Star Ledger Staff
Loading ...