This editorial appeared in the Miami Herald on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008.
It defies logical comprehension that the U.S. government refuses to grant Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to Haitians living in this country, as it has done for residents from other countries torn by political turmoil or natural disaster. Haiti was ripped apart by three storms in four weeks this summer and faces a Herculean challenge merely to feed and house the tens of thousands of people who lost everything they had in the devastation. Haiti had not even recovered from Tropical Storms Noel in 2007 and Jeanne in 2004, which together killed 2,566 people when this year's storms hit.
Haiti President Rene Preval, Catholic bishops, members of Congress and international leaders, among others, have pleaded with the Bush administration for months to provide TPS to Haitians -- to no avail. The only thing left to do is to continue to make the pleas in hopes of finding a spark of compassion.
If the administration thinks that granting TPS to Haitians would set off a mass exodus from the impoverished island, it could not be more wrong. TPS would have the opposite effect. TSP would allow undocumented Haitians already in this country to remain here for up to 18 months without fear of being deported. Last year, Haitians living here and elsewhere sent $1.8 billion to relatives back home. Allowing them to stay and work here would ensure that the dollars keep flowing. That kind of direct aid, coupled with other relief efforts, would help Haiti recover quicker.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Miami Herald .
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