Washington (December 6, 2022) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after the announcement from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that the Administration will extend and redesignate Temporary Protect Status (TPS) for Haitians in the United States for an additional 18 months.

“I applaud the Biden administration for heeding our calls to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living in the United States. This decision affords TPS recipients the opportunity to continue being active members of their communities, supporting their families and bolstering our economy as essential workers, and contributing to the strength and vibrancy of our nation. As the island continues to confront dangerous political unrest, gang violence, and public health crises, it’s our duty to support newly arrived Haitians and their families while urging stability on the ground in Haiti.”

In October, Senator Markey led 15 colleagues in a letter to the Biden administration calling for extending and redesignating TPS for Haiti. Amid surging COVID-19 cases in March 2020, Senator Markey first called on the DHS to immediately halt deportations and release immigrants from detention who are not a public safety threat. In August 2016, he successfully led the effort in the Senate to pressure the United Nations to accept full responsibility for Haiti’s cholera outbreak and deliver financial assistance to victims and their families, following his travel to Haiti to deliver aid and assess the humanitarian response.

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