Let Haitians Stay, Rockland Lawmakers Urge Feds

From the Rockland County Legislature

Rockland County Legislators Toney L. Earl, Nancy Low-Hogan and Aney Paul want federal officials to reconsider the decision to end a protection status that would force nearly 60,000 Haitians living in the U.S. to return home.

The Haitian nationals were granted Temporary Protection Status following a massive earthquake that devastated the Caribbean nation in 2010, killing more than 200,000, spreading cholera and destroying infrastructure.

Some refugees came to Rockland County to live, work and go to school. The county is home to a thriving Haitian community of more than 25,000 people.

“Haiti is not yet able to welcome these refugees back,” Legislature Chairman Toney L. Earl said. “We should support the ongoing rebuilding effort in Haiti before considering the removal of Temporary Protection Status.”

Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere; and, last October, it again was plunged into disaster when it was hit by Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm that killed more than 500 people and left 1.4 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to published reports.

Cholera outbreaks have been a persistent problem, and since the 2010 earthquake, more than 800,000 Haitians have contracted the disease and nearly 10,000 have died. The initial outbreak was traced to U.N. peacekeepers assisting with earthquake recovery.

Haitians who have settled in the U.S., both as immigrants and refugees under TPS, contribute significantly to their home nation’s economy.

Haitians in the U.S. sent about $2.36 billion back to Haiti in 2016, the latest statistics from the World Bank show. That’s about 25 percent of the nation’s $8.023 billion national income, according to the World Bank.

“Many of the refugees who came to the United States in 2010 have become productive workers and students looking to better their lives through education,” Legislature Vice Chairwoman Low-Hogan said. “They are helping to support and rebuild their home nation during this difficult time, and it’s just too soon to end TPS at this time.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Monday that the Temporary Protection Status issued to Haitians as a result of the 2010 earthquake will expire by July 2019. For Haitians with TPS, it means leaving the U.S. on their own or facing deportation if they have not left by the deadline.

“It doesn’t make sense to cut into the progress that is being made in Haiti by pushing to end TPS at this time,” Legislator Aney Paul said. “Haiti grapples with so many socio-economic issues and this is only going to compound the problems. It makes more sense in the long run to allow the improvements to continue, even if takes more time.”

TPS is extended to people in the United States who come from nations crippled by natural disasters or armed conflict that prevents their citizens from returning or prevents their country from adequately receiving them. A group’s status is regularly reviewed and a decide is made whether to continue the protections.

In July, then-Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly allowed a six-month TPS extension for Haitians that expires in January. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke extended the deadline to July 2019 to give people additional time to make arrangements to leave.

PHOTO: Legislator Aney Paul knows first-hand about the conditions on the ground in Haiti.

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