Today, the Biden administration announced that it will restore Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which the Trump administration rescinded in 2017. TPS allows recipients from designated countries experiencing violence and conflict or natural disasters to stay and work in the United States. In January 2018, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that the rescission discriminated against immigrants of color, violating the Fifth Amendment.
Raymond Audain, Senior Counsel at LDF, issued the following statement following the president’s announcement:
“We are encouraged that President Biden has redesignated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status – and that members of the Haitian TPS community now have the security and stability they were unjustly denied for three years as Haiti’s status remained in limbo. While Haiti should have unquestionably received TPS redesignation due to the country’s concerning humanitarian situation alone, the blatantly racist nature of the Trump administration’s decision to revoke its status speaks even further to the rightfulness of today’s decision to undo this deeply discriminatory and shameful action.
“Civil rights litigators and advocates have worked for many years to secure safety and dignity for Haitian people in America. As we celebrate Haitian Heritage Month, we are hopeful that the restoration of Haiti’s TPS is reflective of a renewed commitment to veritable equity and inclusion for the Haitian-American community.”
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
