Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) issued the following statement on Secretary John Kelly's decision to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for six months to Haitian nationals residing in the United States:
"I continue to believe, and will continue to champion, that a full TPS renewal of 18 months is in the best interest of both Haiti and the United States. Haiti continues to face daily challenges from the earthquake that laid waste to the country in 2010, the subsequent introduction of cholera by United Nations' troops, and Hurricane Matthew, which devastated the country just last year.
"As noted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Acting Director James McCament in his memorandum to Secretary Kelly, TPS extensions of less than 18 months create needless operational challenges related to adjudicating re-registration applications and employment documents for the more than 58,000 Haitian nationals residing in the United States. These challenges will not only be felt by the United States, but also the newly formed Haitian government, which is not yet capable of handling the influx of such a great number of people. It is my sincere hope that Secretary Kelly will take the coming weeks and months to soberly assess Haiti's current situation. If he does so, I am confident that he will see the need for a full 18 month extension of TPS."