Time is Now to Grant Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to Haitians Living in the U.S.

Washington, DC-- As the Haitian people continue to recover from the devastation of this week's earthquake, SEIU has joined countless advocacy groups, Senators, and community leaders to urge President Obama to grant Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to Haitians living in the U.S. Accompanying SEIU's letter to the President and online petition, SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina released the following statement:

"As the Haitian people continue to recover from the devastation of this week's earthquake, now is the time for President Obama to step up his support of the Haitian people and finally grant temporary protective status (TPS) to Haitians living in the U.S.

"Long before a 7.0 magnitude earthquake ravaged Port-au-Prince, SEIU has been calling on the Obama Administration to shift its immigration policies for Haitian immigrants escaping abject poverty and political turmoil. Temporary Protective Status is normally granted to immigrants from countries facing grave disturbances, including armed conflict and natural disasters. No country fits the bill better than Haiti.

"Thousands of SEIU members like Micheline Charles, a home care provider in Miami, trace their roots back to tiny, impoverished towns in Haiti. Like Micheline, they recount stories of political turmoil, violence and hunger--forced to leave untold misery behind just for a chance to feed their families in peace.

"Since the earthquake, President Obama has promised the people of Haiti that they "will not be forsaken." Today, it only makes sense that the President complete his promise. Now is the time to finally grant TPS to Haitians who have escaped countless miseries in order to care for their families and loved ones."

SEIU's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Principles:
A comprehensive solution would couple enforcement at the border and in the workplace with a path to earned legalization for all hard working immigrants. It will also replace guest worker programs with a system that guarantees immigrant workers full labor and civil rights protections, and a path to U.S. citizenship. Done together, these reforms will finally restore the rule of law and eliminate an informal labor market that drives down wages and labor protections for all U.S. workers. Read more about the Change to Win and AFL-CIO's Unified Immigration Reform Framework.

With 2.2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas and the largest union of immigrants. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.

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