Today, Representative Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement after the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an extension of the re-registration period for Haitian nationals who are current beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

“I want to thank President Obama, Secretary Napolitano, and USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas for their leadership and continued support of Haiti and its nationals. The extension of the TPS deadline for Haitian nationals ensures that all eligible applicants will have adequate time to apply,” stated Representative Yvette D. Clarke.

After the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in New York and the surrounding region, several Members of Congress signed on to a letter urging for the extension of the deadline which was previously November 30, 2012. Thousands of Haitian TPS beneficiaries were expected to submit their applications in order to maintain their current status for an additional eighteen months. 

“Nearly three years after the earthquake, the situation in Haiti has not improved. Tent camps and the cholera epidemic continue to linger as threats to the recovery efforts of this island nation,” said Representative Clarke. “The 11^th Congressional district includes the second largest population of Haitian immigrants in the country, and TPS has enabled this community to secure employment in order to support themselves in the U.S. and their families in Haiti. It is imperative that we continue to provide the resources necessary to help Haiti rebuild.

###

U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the House Small Business Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. She represents several neighborhoods in central Brooklyn, NY.