wfn.org | CWS welcomes U.S. announcement of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> Church World Service
> 475 Riverside Drive, Ste. 700
> New York, NY 10115
> (212) 870.2061

> For Immediate Release
> January 15, 2010

Media Contacts

Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, media@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin - 24/7 - (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net

CWS welcomes U.S. announcement of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2009--Secretary of Homeland Security Janet
Napolitano announced today that Haitians will be granted Temporary
Protected Status (TPS) in the United States.
â??We are very appreciative of the efforts that the Obama
administration has put forth to address the situation in Haiti,
including extending Temporary Protected Status to Haitians,â?? said  Erol
Kekic, Director of the Immigration and Refugee Program at Church World
Service.  â??This will be an important component of a comprehensive  U.S.
humanitarian response to the current crisis in Haiti.â??
Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, may be granted by the U.S. when
requested by a foreign state that temporarily cannot handle the return
of nationals due to an environmental disaster. There is a precedent for
applying TPS following other natural disasters: the U.S. extended TPS to
Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, and
to Salvadoran nationals after the earthquake in 2001.
Church World Service is engaged in relief efforts currently underway in
Haiti following the airport, and has also historically provided
assistance to the Haitian population in the U.S. through its Miami
office.  CWS will provide legal assistance with TPS.  More information
will be available soon at www.churchworldservice.org/immigration
To support CWS Haiti earthquake assistance efforts, please visit
www.churchworldservice.org or phone 1-800-297-1516.