In its overhaul of the nation’s immigration system, the Trump administration recently announced it would end a program that offered temporary residency permits to almost 60,000 Haitian citizens displaced after the 2010 earthquake.
Rep. Mia Love, whose parents are from Haiti, disagrees with the president’s decision to end the program. She says, “I disagree with the Trump administration’s decision to terminate TPS [Temporary Protected Status] protections for Haiti in July 2019. I saw the conditions in that country myself, and witnessed the struggle for the people who are still living in desperate situations. I have spoken with the country’s leaders, and it’s clear to me that the nation will not be prepared to support this population in the coming months.”
The TPS program offers 18 months of temporary status to residents of countries that experience natural disasters or war. President Barack Obama granted Haitians the temporary status in 2010, and renewed it each time it was set to expire. Trump has also ended the program’s application to Sudan and Nicaragua.
Roughly 25 percent of Haitians live in extreme poverty — living on less than $1.23 a day. Its justice system is extremely troubled. Three hurricanes since 2016 as well as a cholera epidemic have exacerbated the devastation caused by the 2010 earthquake.
Haiti is not a safe place to return to.
Love has been consistent with her welcoming position toward immigrants. She is one of two Republicans, along with nine Democrats, to co-sponsor the ASPIRE Act, which would allow TPS recipients to apply for permanent residency. She also cosponsored the bipartisan Recognizing America’s Children (RAC) Act, which provides a legal process for immigrants who were brought to the nation as children to eventually apply for permanent resident status.
Of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients in October, Love said, “They are, by all accounts, Americans.” She continued, “I don’t even know where people would be deported to because they don’t have families there anymore.”
Concerning Trump’s immigration executive order that barred travelers from six Muslim-majority countries, Love originally said, “I fear that this overly broad executive order may close the front door to many innocent individuals and may undermine our legal immigration system.” She later issued an updated statement that was more conciliatory toward the president.
Love should be loud and proud regarding her efforts to safeguard an immigrant’s right to be here, especially non-criminal TPS and DACA program recipients. Her support for the TPS program for Haiti residents displaced by natural disasters embodies the values Utahns hold dear.