Eleven years ago, Temporary Protected Status was given to Haitians whose island nation was horribly damaged by the January 2010 earthquake. Many have stayed and built lives here in the decade since with the constant need to renew their papers so they could continue to work, legally. Now, amid chaotic civil unrest in Haiti, crippling poverty, and a capital city run by rival street gangs, the Biden administration is extending TPS to Haitians here in the US, rather than force them to self-deport into a nation in shambles.
Pastor Max Marmontel with the United Methodist Church in Fort Myers has mixed feelings.
“It’s a good thing... but we expected more,” Marmontel said.
Marmonetel says that while this is good news for many, his concern is for the thousands of Haitians in the U.S. who have been long-time TPS holders hoping for a path to a green card. Every year and every administration, there is a risk that TPS won’t be extended, and everyone would have to go back, regardless of the homes they’ve bought, the careers they’ve built, or the children they’ve had here since 2010.
“We pray that something is done to change the status to something permanent,” Marmontel said.
