Miami Gardens, FL – Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) sent a letter to President Trump and Secretary Noem urging them to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals. She was joined by over a dozen of her colleagues in this letter as they understand the dire need to extend TPS.

Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson said, “My Haitian constituents are beginning to receive emails from the Department of Homeland Security urging them to self-deport and warning that if they do not, they will be arrested, deported, and barred from ever returning to the United States. They are terrified.

“This is cruelty. This is inhumane. And it is a death sentence. Haiti is currently experiencing open warfare and widespread sexual violence. There is rampant violence against women and children. Schools are closed. Normal work and daily life have collapsed. People are forced to do what gangs tell them to do. This is a humanitarian crisis beyond belief.

“Please remember, TPS is not free. Haitian nationals have paid hundreds of dollars to come out of the shadows and work legally. They enrolled in TPS so they could pay taxes, support their families, and educate their children. They never expected Haiti to become a war zone. They did not create the violence, the murders, the rapes, the kidnappings, and the terror in Haiti.

“For years, the United States has consistently extended TPS for countries where conditions make return unsafe. TPS for Yemen and Sudan has been extended repeatedly because these countries remain in armed conflict, facing economic collapse and a prolonged humanitarian emergency. It continues because of severe violence, mass displacement, and the breakdown of state institutions. In both cases, the United States recognizes that the passage of time alone does not resolve the qualifying conditions. Haiti’s situation is indeed comparable and, in many ways, even more severe.

“There is a travel advisory for Haiti. American citizens cannot go to Haiti. So why would we send Haitians back there? These conditions are beyond the realm of self-deportation. You are asking people, in effect, to commit suicide because many of them will die.

“I implore you, Mr. President, and anyone with the slightest bit of decency and conscience, to extend TPS for Haitians.”