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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Bay State lawmakers have asked President Biden to let Haitian nationals already in the United States stay until conditions improve in Haiti.
Amid escalating violence in Haiti, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley are urging the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to immediately redesignate Temporary Protected Status for Haiti.
The status change would allow Haitian nationals in the U.S to stay since gang violence has recently soared in the Caribbean country. Lawmakers are also calling on President Biden to pause deportation flights to Haiti temporarily.
“Both of these steps are necessary to ensure that the United States does not return Haitian nationals to a government incapable of protecting its citizens — often subjecting them to repression and violence — and gangs that brutally victimize residents and operate without restrictions," lawmakers wrote in the letter. "Because of the quickly worsening gang violence in Haiti, the uncertain political future following Prime Minister Henry’s resignation announcement, the lack of accountability for human rights violations, and the current government’s abuses, we urge you to extend and redesignate TPS for Haiti and use your discretion to halt deportation flights to the country."
The letter went on to say that making the changes would help to prevent "further suffering and unnecessary loss of life.”
On Sunday, dozens of Americans were evacuated from Haiti on the first State Department charter flight to Miami. There are still hundreds of Americans still trapped there as hunger soars.
In July, 2023, The State Department declared a level 4 travel advisory which means "do not travel" due to the civil unrest in the country. Several months later in December, 2023, Senator Markey sent a letter to President Biden to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti.
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