AILA Executive Director Urges Biden Administration to Offer Haitians Safety in this Time of Turmoil

Washington, DC – American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Executive Director Ben Johnson, urged the Biden Administration to take immediate action as Haiti faces immense challenges:

“Given the violence and instability facing Haiti, AILA urges the Biden Administration to take immediate and urgent action to provide relief to impacted Haitians using all of the tools in the executive branch’s toolbox. The President can protect many more Haitians using strategies that he has already implemented which have also effectively managed and reduced migration flows to the border. Specifically, we call upon him to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians well before the August 4, 2024, expiration date and to expand the highly successful humanitarian parole currently in place. Haitians are facing fear and terror. The Biden Administration can and should offer what safety and security it can during this time of turmoil.”

In addition to TPS and expanding humanitarian parole, AILA recommends the following:

• Expediting USCIS processing for Haitians who have pending parole or benefits applications
• Providing assurances that any U.S. consulate can expeditiously handle Haitian applications
• Halting deportation flights to Haiti and providing other protections from removal
• Protecting those whose travel authorization may expire
• Ensuring that DHS exercises discretion to excuse any missed filing deadlines