WASHINGTON, DC — On June 28, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced the Extension and Redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status.  In response to this announcement of much needed relief for Haitian people across the country, CASA’s Executive Director Gustavo Torres issued the following statement:

“CASA supports the Biden Administration’s decision to redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. This decision is critical in providing vital humanitarian relief to Haitian families who have been living in the United States for decades. The circumstances prompting this redesignation – including ongoing socio-economic challenges, political instability, violence, high crime and environmental vulnerabilities – underscore the urgent need for this humanitarian measure. 

Redesignating Haiti for TPS is not only a compassionate response but also a necessary one to ensure the safety and well-being of Haitian people and families in our communities. “We stand in solidarity with the Haitian community and call for ongoing support and advocacy to safeguard the rights and dignity of all individuals eligible for TPS.”

According to the Department of Homeland Security, “the redesignation of Haiti for TPS allows an estimated 309,000 additional Haitian nationals (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) to file initial applications for TPS, if they are otherwise eligible and if they established residence in the United States on or before June 3, 2024, and have continued to reside in the United States since then (“continuous residence”). Eligible individuals who do not already have TPS may submit an initial Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, during the initial registration period that runs from July 1, 2024, through Feb. 3, 2026.”

While this announcement brings much needed immigration relief, CASA and other immigration organizations continue to urge the Biden administration to be a leader in humanitarian protection by promptly implementing the Redesignation of TPS for other countries facing similar humanitarian crises, including El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Sudan and designating Guatemala for TPS.

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With over 155,000 lifetime members across 46 US states, CASA is a national powerhouse organization building power and improving the quality of life in working-class: Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities. CASA creates change with its powerbuilding model blending human services, community organizing, and advocacy in order to serve the full spectrum of the needs, dreams, and aspirations of members. www.wearecasa.org