Homeland Security: No protected status for Haitians

By at 14 May, 2009, 5:06 pm

Haitian boat rescue (Getty Images) After a boat full of fleeing Haitians capsized off the coast of South Florida, the Homeland Security Department today warned others not to make such a dangerous journey in hopes of gaining legal status in this country. The Obama administration is reviewing U.S. policy on Haitian immigrants, but a Homeland Security spokesman said the capsizing will not trigger a change. U.S. officials are concerned that granting what is called TPS – Temporary Protected Status – would entice more Haitians to risk coming to Florida in small boats. For months, South Florida members of Congress have urged U.S. officials to grant TPS to Haitians who are living here illegally to protect them from being deported. Advocates for Haitian immigrants contend that it is cruel and

impractical to send them back to an impoverished nation wracked by political turmoil and storm damage. They say TPS would allow Haitians already living and working here to send money back home, which would make other Haitians less likely to flee. Homeland Security isn’t buying that argument, at least not today. “Yesterday represented a tragic loss of life off the coast of Florida,’’ said Matt Chandler, a spokesman for Homeland Security. “It is very important for people to know that there is no change in our policy on Temporary Protected Status. No one living in Haiti right now should be attempting to come to the United States in hopes that they will be granted TPS.”

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Homeland Security: No protected status for Haitians

Categories : Florida



Comments
James Kuehn January 15, 2010

I totally agree. We as a Country have lost sight as to what we can and cannot provide to the rest of the World. In this case we are in no position to accept people from another nation just because it is a little tough on them right now. We have our population that is out of work and on welfare and medicaid and we cannot afford to add more the this list. Haitains need to do a better job in caring for themselves; they have had 400 years to improve themselves and all they have done is ruin their own land. We do not need their help in ruining ours, not to mention 4,000 escaped prisoners over there that nobody knows who they are.

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