AILA Executive Director Welcomes Administration’s Moves to Protect Haitians in the United States

Washington, DC – American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Executive Director Ben Johnson welcomed news that the Biden Administration will redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals and offer hardship work authorization for Haitian students on student visas:

“It is a great relief that the Biden Administration is moving to redesignate and extend TPS for Haitians and offer hardship work authorization for students because the violence and instability in Haiti continue to endanger lives and make it impossible to safely return. This is exactly what U.S. leadership should look like when confronting a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude. We encourage the Administration to continue to open legal and safe pathways for individuals to come to the United States and for long-time residents to remain in our communities. AILA members will do their part to assist eligible individuals in accessing our complicated immigration system in order to receive TPS protection or relief for students experiencing economic hardship. The Biden administration should be commended for expanding congressionally authorized tools, like TPS and humanitarian parole, to establish more legal pathways for people fleeing danger and conflict. These are not only vital humanitarian steps, but they also help manage irregular migration flows to the U.S. southern border.”