Termination of TPS for Haitians is an Important Step Toward Restoring the Integrity of the Program

(November 21, 2017, Washington, D.C.) — The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to wind down Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals:

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), last night, took the long overdue step of announcing that conditions in Haiti no longer warrant continuation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Despite acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke’s determination “that those extraordinary but temporary conditions caused by the 2010 earthquake no longer exist,” the department has generously extended Haitian TPS beneficiaries an 18 month grace period to allow for “an orderly transition” to their homeland.

“After years of unmerited open-ended extensions, last night’s DHS decision indicates that it intends to honor the temporary nature of the protection offered by the American people in 2010. We fully expect that the Trump administration will follow through on this commitment to bring Haitian TPS to an end come July 2019.

“The administration’s action will undoubtedly help restore the integrity of the TPS program and allow the United States to continue to offer temporary protection to people whose countries experience unexpected turmoil.

“DHS must now evaluate conditions in other countries that have been granted a repeated extension of their temporary protections. TPS for some 200,000 Salvadorans, who have enjoyed ‘temporary’ protection since 2001, is set to expire in January. The administration will have an opportunity to send an even stronger signal that the rampant abuse of the TPS program will no longer be tolerated by finally terminating TPS for El Salvador.”

Contact:  Dave Ray, [email protected]; 202-368-7872