NEWARK – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), issued the following statement in reaction to the decision by the Trump Administration to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Haiti. Established by the U.S. Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990, TPS is a temporary, renewable program that provides relief from deportation and access to a work permit for foreign nationals from certain countries who are unable to safely return to their home country due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary conditions.

“This latest irrational move to sunset TPS for more than 58,000 Haitians across our country – 3,400 in New Jersey alone – only serves as a reminder of the dangerous frame of mind driving the decision makers in this Administration. Decision makers who appear convinced that anyone born outside of the United States is an automatic burden on our communities, a menace to our national security and an unwelcome guest in our country.”

“Let there be no mistake, revoking TPS in the name of nativism is a self-serving move to strip legal status from entire communities, force them into the shadows of society, and ultimately subject law abiding immigrants to deportation. The fact is Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest countries in the world, and the country is in no position to accept the return of thousands of nationals currently protected under TPS, jeopardizing the vital economic support of $1.3 billion remittances coming from the U.S., especially after recent destruction caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria. This decision will not only have a seriously destabilizing effect and impair Haiti’s fragile recovery efforts, but it further harms our ability to be an effective leader on the global stage by demonizing people from different countries. But faced by a lack of ‘bad hombres’, the Trump administration is shamelessly creating deportable immigrants out of thin air and tearing apart American families - specifically 27,000 US citizen children who have TPS parents.”

“We cannot stand idly by to wait for this Administration’s coming of age politically. With yet another self-inflicted wound to our moral standing as a nation, Congress must again step in and act to find a permanent solution for a population that will now be undocumented in 18 months.”

Senator Menendez has been a leading voice in Congress urging the Trump Administration to extend TPS for those who are contributing to the U.S. economy, paying taxes, and supporting their families. Unless renewed, the protections for several other TPS-designated countries are all set to expire in the coming months.

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