WASHINGTON—The chairman of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, Bishop Joe S.
Vásquez of Austin, Texas, offered his appreciation to Secretary John Kelly of
the Department of Homeland Security for his decision to extend Temporary
Protective Status for Haitians in the United States for six months but urged
continued engagement and humanitarian assistance to improve conditions in
Haiti.

Full statement follows:

“On behalf of the USCCB Committee on
Migration, I express gratitude to Secretary Kelly of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) and the Trump Administration for extending another six months of
Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to over 58,000 Haitians living and working in
the United States legally. While this extension is helpful, it still
leaves many Haitian families in the United States in an insecure and vulnerable
position, particularly with respect to ensuring legal work
authorization. Extending TPS serves an important humanitarian role by
providing for the safety, well-being, and stability of Haitians living in
the United States. We encourage our government to work proactively with the
Haitian government to provide life-saving aid and recovery assistance. Haiti
will continue to struggle to receive back those who are temporarily protected,
even those who may be returned in the near future. Through the Church’s service
networks, we will continue to assist Haitian families in the U.S., aid the
rebuilding process in Haiti and look for opportunities to collaborate with the
Church in Haiti and the Haitian and U.S. governments.”

—

Keywords: United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, Committee on Migration,
Secretary John Kelly, Department of Homeland Security, Trump Administration,
Temporary Protective Status (TPS), Haitian families, Haitian government, Church
in Haiti, safety, well-being, stability.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops