Kerry calls for temporay protected status for Haitians living in the US

[karynnj]

In the wake of Tuesday's devastating earthquake in Haiti, Senators John Kerry and Paul Kirk, together with 13 of their colleagues, today sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian nationals currently living in the U.S.

TPS is often granted to nationals of a country who are temporarily unable to safely return to their homeland because of armed conflict or a natural disaster. Deporting Haitians at this time would inhibit the Haitian government's ability to recover from the earthquake and worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.

"The people of Haiti are in a desperate situation after deadly hurricanes just 18 months ago and now a massive earthquake. Our assistance must be generous and sustained and we should also protect the Haitian nationals peacefully living and working in the United States. They should not be forced to return to a ravaged homeland where their basic human needs cannot be met. Along with my senate colleagues, I am pushing for Temporary Protected Status just like we have for others facing similar crises - it is the only fair thing to do," said Senator Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"I'm deeply saddened by the devastation that has occurred in Haiti. Like many of my colleagues, I know that now is not the time to send Haitians back to their country. Their country has been devastated, and I believe that the President should grant Temporary Protected Status to Haitians who are currently in the United States. Haiti meets the criteria for this status, and this is the first of many ways we can help the Haitian people in the days and months ahead," said Senator Paul Kirk.

http://www.enewspf.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12865:senators-urge-president-obama-to-grant-temporary-protected-status-to-haitians-living-in-us-in-wake-of-devastating-earthquake-&catid=88888983:latest-national-news&Itemid=88889930

Yesterday, Kerry also joined Governor Patrick in meeting with Boston Haitians. In DU JK, Mass posted a link to this article of Kerry speaking in French to the Haitians. http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/archive/2010/01/14/john-le-kerry-addresses-boston-area-haitian-americans-in-french.aspx

But last night - at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End - Kerry's multi-lingual skills came in handy, as he addressed the crowd of mostly Haitian-Americans who were gathered to get information on a centralized hurricane relief assistance effort in Boston. The senator even earned himself a round of applause. I'm sure that clowns like Rush Limbaugh, Jay Severin, and Howie Carr will knuckle Kerry for his performance, but, for those in need, his fluency helped further assure, in a special way, that people who can make a difference might actually do so this time.
...

[Robb]

1. Sensible, and may have been overlooked.

Good for Kerry.

[Arkana]

2. It amazes me that even now there are people

who would call Senator Kerry a "DLC corporatist stooge". Especially when he does things like this.

[karynnj]

6. There are so many things like this that show him to be a very compassionate,

kind person. The thing I don't get is why they think a person who authored campaign finance reform with Wellstone and investigated BCCI for 5 years, while every power that be in the party told him to stop is.

[timeforpeace]

9. Populists should be popular, but he's not. Wonder why?

[karynnj]

11. Maybe because he was smeared by the right in 2004

and by the far left, angry with him for his vote and for beating Dean and because he was smeared by the Clinton wing of the party starting as soon as he lost.

It might also be that many are fooled by people who actually care less, but who hide behind facades that really do not reflect who they are - John Edwards being a great example, who even got away with having two different facades - one in 2004 and one in 2008.

But, in spite of that, he is reasonably popular and respected. His speech at Obama's convention was one of the best regarded. The fact is that in 2004, he had no media support, less party support than Dean, and less money than Dean at the end of 2003, but he ended up with 38% of the caucusers. Largely because he convinced people when he met them on a one to one basis and because of his "vets", many of whom came from MA and spent months on the campaign - on their on dime. These are people, who have supported him for decades. He won the nomination in 2004 very very easily - even as the media spoke of how charismatic John Ewdards was. The voters were smarter and chose Kerry.

One thing that really impressed me is that the "Kerry" fundraisers and strategists (not the Clinton/Edwards et al people who joined in the general election) basically all stayed with him until he opted out in 2007 and they were intensely loyal to him - as were his Vietnam crews and his college friends. He also did get 67% of the vote in 2008.

[midnight]

3. Not sure what this protected status sets into motion, but why would it be

necessary?

[karynnj]

5. I assume it means that anyone from Haiti in the US either illegally or

on a short term visa will not be forced to return.

[BunkerHill24]

4. Better yet give them permanent status. nt

[tblue]

7. Really.

I agree.

[Cha]

8. It's a good start! Thanks,

karyn.

[JNelson6563]

10. Bravo Senator Kerry!

:patriot:

He would've been a very good President.

Julie

[politicasista]

12. Kick.

:kick: :patriot:

[Vidar]

13. Good for Kerry.

[karynnj]

14. Slightly more information from a Boston Haitian paper

The letter follows an announcement made by the Office of Homeland Security earlier in the day that said the U.S. would halt "returns" of illegal Haitian immigrants to Haiti "for the time being." That brief statement made no mention of revising the TPS policy.

http://www.bostonhaitian.com/node/67
So, it looks like they have a very temporary program that is already in effect. (It is nice that the paper included the entire letter.)

[BlueIris]

15. Always working. nt