Could Haitian migrants receive TPS?

It is very difficult (and in some cases grossly insensitive) to bring politics into the aftermath of Tuesday’s massive earthquake in Haiti. Yet in the few days since the tragedy there has been at least one major change to U.S.-Haiti policy.

Hours after the quake struck the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decided to temporarily suspend the deportations of detained Haitian migrants. According to a DHS spokesman, U.S. immigration officials continue “to closely monitor the situation" in the impoverished Caribbean nation as the fate of an estimated 30,000 undocumented Haitians in the U.S. is in limbo.

The move opens the door for the possible granting of temporary protected status (TPS) to Haitians illegally residing in the U.S. Migrants from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras have previously received the TPS privilege that is given when countries fall victims to severe natural disasters. According to TheHill.com, an unnamed DHS official told them that TPS remains “within the range of consideration."

Haitian expats and immigration advocates have long clamored for TPS for Haitians, especially in light of numerous hurricanes and major storms over the past decade. Though their pleas had fallen on deaf ears by both the Bush and Obama administrations, support for Haitian TPS has gained backing from key lawmakers:

Among those calling on Wednesday for the Obama administration to reconsider were Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, both Democrats, and Representatives Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart of south Florida, both Republicans, as well as the Roman Catholic Bishops.

“If this is not a slam-dunk case for temporary protected status, I don’t know what is,” said Kevin Appleby, a spokesman for the bishops. He said the status would allow Haitian immigrants here to work here and send money back to relatives in Haiti trying to recover from the quake.

Image- BBC News (Some Haitians residing in Miami have clamored to the heavens in the aftermath of Tuesday’s deadly earthquake).
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, TheHill.com, New York Times