MIAMI (WSVN) - South Florida religious and community leaders addressed the immigration crisis by focusing on the thousands of families under temporary protected status.
A large focus on the immigration issue has been centered around the border where parents have been separated from their children. Community leaders in Little Haiti believe that the same thing could happen in South Florida.
Dozens of local leaders gathered Friday, rallying to renew temporary protected status or TPS for thousands of immigrants in the United States.
“We can’t allow the plight of TPS recipients to be forgotten,” said Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski.
TPS gives people from other countries a chance to legally stay in the U.S.
“You’re here legally. You’ve been getting up every morning, going to work with permission to work, you get your driver’s license, your kids are in school. You’re here legally,” said immigration attorney Helena Tetezli.
TPS recipients typically come from unstable political or economic countries or places affected by a natural disaster.
Haiti made the list as one of those countries after it was ravaged by an earthquake in 2010.
Tens of thousands of Haitians have since come to the U.S. and many of those have resided in Miami ever since. However, now the Trump Administration is letting TPS expire for Haiti and other countries.
“You’re going to lose that status; you’re going to be illegal,” Tetezli said. “Well, we’re suing the president of the United States.”
Tetezil is representing some Haitian families in South Florida. Her firm is suing not only the president but other federal leaders as well for an extension on protection.
Meanwhile, in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, resident and leaders now fear that families will be torn apart once again.
“I’m tired of seeing separation of families because it’s been happening under the Obama administration, and it is also happening under the Trump administration,” said Julio Calderon with the Florida Immigration Coalition.
The following dates are when TPS expires according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
- Sudan: November 2018
- Nicaragua: January 2019
- Nepal: June 2019
- Haiti: July 2019
- El Salvador: September 2019
- Honduras: January 2020
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