MIAMI (WSVN) - Religious leaders, lawmakers and the Haitian community members have come together in the hopes of stopping President Trump’s decision on the Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.
The ending of the TPS program has prompted calls for action, and some South Florida lawmakers are on the front line.
Wednesday marks another day of concern for immigrants living in Little Haiti without documentation and those families living in South Florida under a TPS designation.
Some of the most powerful messages to lawmakers have come from children who will be impacted by the end of the TPS for Haitians.
Instead of writing to Santa Claus, this time of year, some youngsters wrote to lawmakers.
A 12-year-old girl wrote, “Christmas is almost here, and my dream for the holidays is to keep my family together. It is hard to concentrate in school because I am scared that when I get home, they will not be there because they were taken away.”
This is part of the Dream for the Holidays campaign where children have delivered messages to Senator Marco Rubio.
“These young kids have written up letters and taken it to Rubio and letting him know, you know, you can make a change,” said community activist Keno Walker.
On Monday, the Trump Administration announced that in 18 months, the TPS program will end. That news prompted protests at the president’s Palm Beach estate in West Palm Beach, Tuesday.
The latest community leader to speak up was Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Archdiocese of Miami. “It’s not a question of sending them home because there’s no home there,” he said. “Home is here. We need a humane and a just solution, which is legislation.”
“Really encourage Congress to finally act on this,” said Randy McGrorty, of Catholic Legal Services, “and provide some kind of permanent pathway for people.”
Some South Florida lawmakers are pushing for a way for them to stay.
“That’s what we’re all here for, just trying to create social change one step at a time,” Walker said.
On Dec. 7, children from across the U.S. will travel to Washington D.C. to personally deliver their letters to lawmakers.
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