Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 8 novembre 2017

 The renewal of the Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for 58,000 Haitian is uncertain. They are now at risk of being evicted from the USA

This week, with less than 80 days until the end of the 6 month extension of the "Temporary Protected Status" (TPS) for Haiti, scheduled on January 28, 2018, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson informed Elaine Duke, Interim Chief at the Department of Homeland Security, that the economic and security conditions in Haiti no longer warranted that some 58,000 Haitian migrants remain on American soil.

Nevertheless, a spokesman for the State Department declared that no decision had yet been made and refused to comment on possible internal deliberations between agencies. It should be noted that Elaine Duke has to announce a definitive decision before the end of November. U.S. law requires that this decision is announced at least 60 days before the expiration date of the TPS.

Last September, Sharon Scheidhauer, spokesperson of the services of the U.S. Office of Citizenship and Immigration, had already warned "[...] the beneficiaries are encouraged to prepare to return to Haiti in case the TPS is not extended for Haiti. This includes asking Haiti for up to date travel documents [...]"

The news is not very encouraging for our fellow countrymen living in the United States under the TPS, even if there is still some hope thanks to the multitude of political and diplomatic pressures. However, it is necessary to be seriously concerned about President Trump’s lack of empathy for the plight of immigrants, regardless of their origins...

Miami immigrant advocates urge Trump not to separate TPS families

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Activist Francisco Portillo was in his Little Havana office Saturday afternoon trying to calm anxious callers.

“We have gotten about 20 to 25 calls today. All we can tell people is that we have to wait until the government makes a formal announcement on Monday,” Portillo said. “But with this uncertainty the community is very worried. There are people with TPS who have lived here for two decades, have businesses. Many more are homeowners. They were expecting a permanent solution, an immigration reform, not this.”

Administration officials have said the return of tens of thousands of migrants could be a boon for Central American nations and Haiti, because their citizens will return with job skills, democratic values and savings.

They also note that the protection was never meant to be permanent and that ending it would be consistent with the administration’s aim of reducing immigration and complying with legal restrictions that have been loosely enforced in the past.

After so many years in the United States, many of the TPS recipients have sunk deep roots. According to America’s Voice, an immigration reform group, many of the TPS recipients in Florida are construction supervisors and home healthcare professionals, some of them currently helping with hurricane recovery efforts in Florida and Texas. They’re also, the group says, parents to nearly 275,000 U.S. citizen children.

Forcing the return of 50,000 people to Haiti would disrupt the fragile recovery there, exacerbate the food, housing, and public health crises, and potentially destabilize the new government, according to the Journal on Migration and Human Security.

Maria Rodriguez, director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, says if the special status isn’t renewed, it would encourage those with grounded lives to shift to the shadows.

TPS holders have become a political force in South Florida. Maria Rodriguez, director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, leads a group of TPS holders, Dreamers, elected officials, faith leaders, labor, and community organizations attending a rally to defend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in front of the MDC Freedom Tower in Miami, on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017.

The Washington Post contributed to this report

American woman to head new UN organization in Haiti

UNITED NATIONS (CMC) – United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres has named 53- year-old American national, Susan D Page of the United States, as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH).

MINUJUSTH replaces the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) that ended its operations in the country.

The UN mission, established in June 2004 by a UN Security Council resolution, succeeded a Multinational Interim Force after then President Bertrand Aristide departed Haiti for exile in the aftermath of an armed conflict which spread to several cities across the country.

For the last four years it was under the leadership of the Trinidad and Tobago diplomat, Sandra Honoré, who along with Mamadou Diallo of Guinea, were praised by Guterres for the contribution to the stabilization of the Caribbean country.

The UN said Page brings to her new position extensive managerial and leadership experience in diplomacy, international development and the rule of law.

She served as Deputy Special Representative for Rule of Law in MINUSTAH since January 2017, and was the first United States Ambassador to South Sudan, after which she served as the Acting United States Ambassador to the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

She held the position of senior adviser in the Office of the United States Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan and served as United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

Her United Nations experience includes positions as director of the Rule of Law Advisory Unit in the United Nations Mission in the Sudan, and senior legal adviser for the United Nations Development Programme in Sudan and in Rwanda.

PRESS RELEASE

Haiti and the United Nations stand together to achieve zero transmission of cholera 
and to improve access to water, sanitation and health care

Port-au-Prince, 3 November 2017 – On the occasion of a three-day visit to Haiti, of the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General (DSG), Ms. Amina J. Mohammed and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Haiti, Ms. Josette Sheeran, a High Level Cholera Committee meeting (HLCC) was organized at the Prime Minister Residence, co-presided by the Head of the Haitian Government, HE M. Jack Guy Lafontant and the Deputy Secretary-General.

The Haitian Government and the UN representatives jointly expressed their determination to achieve zero transmission of cholera. They further expressed their commitment to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including improving access to water, sanitation and healthcare.

The Prime Minister and the Deputy Secretary-General, announced a commitment to work in close partnership to eliminate the transmission of cholera. They noted that achieving this ambitious goal and ensuring its sustainability will require the refinement of the current government plan for the elimination of cholera, linked to actionable steps and detailed costs. While cholera transmission has dropped dramatically from over 18,000 new cases per week at the onset of the epidemic to 250 per week this year, success will require more funding to maintain the highly effective work of emergency response teams, and commitment to the fight against cholera in the medium and long-term. In recognition of the fact that one single cholera death is one too many, the participants committed to updating the National Plan for the Elimination of Cholera to take advantage of the current window of opportunity and avoid a resurgence of cases. 

“Regarding the technical support of the national drinking water supply and sanitation system, as mentioned by the President of the Republic in his meetings with the Deputy Secretary-General and the Secretary-General, on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the General Assembly last September, the Haitian government calls for a direct support to the national structures of public health, water and sanitation, to reinforce the State capacities "said the Prime Minister.  "The Government and the people of Haiti feel strengthened in their confidence that the UN and the international community can raise the funding needed for the full implementation of the New Approach on cholera proposed by the Secretary General and adopted by the General Assembly, which cannot wait any longer”

The participants discussed the importance for the country to encourage foreign direct investment in sectors of water, sanitation and health, and in so doing, consolidating the progress made so far in the fight against cholera in Haiti.

According to last DINEPA data, 72% of Haitian population does not have access to adequate sanitation and 42% has not yet adequate access to safe water while access to health care services is limited.  

Urging Member States and partners to provide comprehensive support, the Deputy Secretary General emphasized during the meeting that “addressing the root causes of cholera in Haiti is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, in the immediate term, we urgently require funding to ensure continued operation of the rapid response teams - failure to do so risks losing the gains achieved to date”.

Haiti-RD: Tourist operators in both countries want to establish an alliance

At the initiative of the Dominicano-Haitian Chamber of Commerce (CCDH), tourist operators and tour operators in Cap-Haïtien and Puerto-Plata met in Puerto-Plata with the aim of establishing an alliance which would promote the Northern Region of the island of Hispaniola as a tourist destination with multi-destinations.

Participating in this meeting among others were: the Organization of Management of the Destinations of the North of Haiti (OGDNH), which brings together the heads of hotels in Cap-Haïtien, the Tourism office of Puerto-Plata, the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Companies of Tourism of the North and the Touristic Cluster of Puerta-Plata.

The heads of hotels and tour operators held separate meetings to analyze the stages to follow and to discuss the proposed multi-destinations.

Rosa Maria Garcia, president of the CCDH, declared that the proposal of multi-destination to promote the attractions of Cap-Haïtien and Puerto Plata will be able to "sow seeds allowing the realization of the development of tourism in the northern part of the island."

She called upon the businessmen in both countries "to mutually contribute to promote tourism between both countries" and noted that the heads of hotels of Puerto Plata have invited and dedicated the next international tourism fair to Haiti.

It should be reminded that in 2012 then Minister of Tourism, Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin, launched the multi-destination tourism project and signed the first agreements between Puerto-Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti during the OPERTUR show in the Dominican Republic. That same year a multi-destination tourism initiative was presented between Puerto-Plata and Cap-Haïtian.

On eve of high-level U.N. Haiti visit, Trump continues to say ‘No’ to cholera request

Earlier this fall, as the United Nations’ blue-helmet peacekeepers began theirwithdrawal from Haiti, many of their countries rushed to the beleaguered nation’s aid, turning over millions of dollars in unspent peacekeeping dollars to help eliminate a deadly cholera epidemic.

Some countries, faced with roadblocks in their parliaments, reprogrammed dollars. Others, like Norway, added an additional $465,000 to its $335,000 refund.

But the United States, which had already stated its opposition to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres’ requestover reassigning $11 million in unspent Haiti peacekeeping money, is refusing even though the Senate Appropriations Committee gave it the green light in September. The Senate provision allows the Trump administration to use the unspent peacekeeping dollars for Haiti’s cholera plan.

In June, Michele Sison, the U.S. deputy permanent representative to the United Nations — and Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Haiti — told Guterres during a public hearing that while the U.S. supports the request “in principle,” it was “not in a position to contribute in this way.” The U.S. mission noted that it had contributed more than $100 million to the outbreak since it was introduced in Haiti by peacekeepers, 10 months after the earthquake. Three months later, the mission followed up with a Sept. 11 letter to Guterres restating its formal opposition, citing U.S. law.

“If the administration is concerned about this tragedy as they profess to be, they need to contribute,” said Tim Rieser, foreign policy aide to Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat and committee vice chairman who pushed the provision allowing the administration to turn over the funds. 

“The administration refuses to use the authority Sen. Leahy provided, but neither have they proposed to use other funds for this purpose,” Rieser said.

Of an unspent $40.5 million that Guterres was hoping to get reassigned, only $3.2 million from 30 nations has trickled in so far, frustrating U.N. officials. Among them is U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who is leading a high-level visit to Haiti Friday through Sunday to show U.N. commitment to the country and its faltering democracy.

“There are many, many crises in the world but you would think...you would get a better response than we have had from the international community,” Mohammed said. “This is not a large amount of money. And whatever we get makes a big difference, and we will plow it into what we’re doing.”

Haitian cholera activist Berthony Clermont demands the U.N. compensates victims of the cholera outbreak following the 2010 earthquake. 

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 15 novembre 2017

 

Haiti Tops Index of Nations Worst-hit by Extreme Weather in 2016

BONN, GERMANY — 

REUTERS, 9 Nov. 2017 - Haiti, which was hit last year by its strongest hurricane in 50 years, has been ranked the country worst-affected by extreme weather in 2016, in an index published on Thursday.

Zimbabwe, which suffered severe drought followed by floods, came second. Fiji, recovering from the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the island nation, was ranked third in the Climate Risk Index published annually by research group Germanwatch.

Fiji is president of this year's U.N. climate talks, where small island states are pushing for urgent action to curb planet-warming emissions, which are expected to bring worse storms, floods, droughts and rising sea levels.

"When Tropical Cyclone Winston hit Fiji, more than half our population was displaced and disturbed," said Joshua Wycliffe, Fiji's permanent secretary for local government, housing and environment.

"And there's not been a day when we've gone to work not knowing when another cyclone is happening," he said on the sidelines of the November 6-17 Bonn talks.

When a storm can severely impact the economy and health of a relatively large island state like Fiji, "you can imagine the devastation it can do to a smaller island nation", he added.

Between 1997 and 2016, more than 520,000 people died in over 11,000 extreme weather events including storms, floods and heat waves worldwide, the index said. The economic damages amounted to about $3.16 trillion, according to Germanwatch.

Nine of the ten worst-affected nations in that period were developing countries, with Honduras, Haiti and Myanmar suffering most, the index showed.

"But industrialized nations must also do more to address climate impacts that they are beginning to feel at home," said David Eckstein of Germanwatch, one of the authors of the index.

The United States, for example, ranks 10th in the index for 2016, with 267 deaths and $47.7 billion in damages caused by extreme weather, he said.

The index does not take into account slow-onset climate risks such as rising sea levels or melting glaciers.

Some countries like Haiti, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are repeatedly hit by extreme weather and have no time to recover fully, Germanwatch noted.

"Especially in smaller states, the consequences are hardly bearable," said Eckstein. Those losses underline how important it is to help poor countries adapt to climate change and deal with the damage caused by extreme weather, he said.

"Especially at a climate summit under Fijian presidency, these issues have to receive the highest priority," he added.

CBC Again Urges DHS to Fully Extend TPS for Haitian Beneficiaries

CBC Again Urges DHS to Fully Extend TPS for Haitian Beneficiaries

Today, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) released a letter it sent to the Department of Homeland Security on Friday urging the Administration to fully extend Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for eighteen months by the November 23 deadline. The letter was signed by all 49 members of the bicameral, bipartisan CBC. Full text of the letter is attached and online.

From Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), CBC Chairman, and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-09), CBC Member-At-Large and Chairwoman of the CBC Immigration Working Group:

“In 16 days, the Administration may decide to force 50,000 hardworking Haitian Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries to return to a country that is facing a food insecurity crisis and cholera epidemic as it continues to rebuild in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2010 earthquake and Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

“Haiti is in no condition to absorb the cost of reintegrating thousands of Haitian TPS beneficiaries all at once and reintegrating them will mean that Haiti will lose remittances that these beneficiaries currently send back to the country.

“The people of Haiti have faced enormous challenges over the past seven years that are not of their making, and we should do everything in our power to help them rebuild and recover. Sending 50,000 Haitian TPS beneficiaries back to a country where they have no place to live or work will make a bad situation worse.”

ECONOMY WILL SUFFER IF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTS IMMIGRANTS FLEEING CRISES, ADVOCATES SAY

BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZON 11/9/17 AT 12:34 PM

The U.S. economy would take a huge hit if the Trump administration decides to stop offering Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to thousands of immigrants who have fled natural disasters, political persecution and pandemics, immigration advocacy groups and lawmakers said.

More than 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti have been granted TPS, and its elimination would result in the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) taking a $164 billion hit over the next decade, according to the Center for American Progress. It would also result in a $6.9 billion reduction to Social Security and Medicare contributions over a decade, the Immigrant Legal Resource Centersaid.

More than 80 percent of TPS holders from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti are believed to be employed, and if they could no longer perform their jobs, American employers would have to spend $967 million in hiring and training new employees, ILRC estimated.

 “TPS holders are essential contributors to the U.S. economy and society, and provide critical financial support to assist recovery and stability in their home countries—both things the Trump administration should consider as it decides the future of TPS,” the Center for American Progress said.

Deadlines to renew TPS for immigrants from El Salvador and Haiti are looming. At least 60 days before TPS is set to expire, the Homeland Security secretary must review the conditions for the TPS designation and decide if protection is still warranted.

Acting Secretary Elaine Duke this month ended TPS for 2,500 recipients displaced from Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch in 1999. The formerly protected immigrants have about a year to leave the U.S.

Duke is weighing the status for 57,000 Hondurans, having extended the expiration date by six months (it had been January 5). According to The Washington Post, White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly pressured Duke to expel the Hondurans, but she refused.

A decision for 50,000 Haitians, whose TPS is set to expire January 22, is expected around Thanksgiving. TPS for 195,000 recipients from El Salvador expires March 9.

Haitians received TPS in 2010 after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook the island, killing 220,000 people. Salvadorans received TPS in 2001 after a series of earthquakes left tens of thousands homeless.

The Homeland Security secretary can designate countries for temporary TPS in cases of war, famine, epidemics or natural disasters. TPS currently is granted to recipients from 13 foreign countries.

The majority of both Salvadoran and Honduran TPS holders have lived in the United States for at least 20 years, and at least 16 percent of Haitian TPS holders have lived in the U.S. for at least two decades. TPS holders from the three countries have 273,000 American-born children, according to the American Immigration Council.

Losing TPS would be devastating to those children, immigrant advocacy groups say.

“They would either face separation from their parents or be forced to relocate to a country foreign to them,” the Center for American Progress said. “Even the fear of family separation or deportation of parents has been found to have detrimental effects on children’s cognitive and psychological well-being.”

Job sectors anticipated to suffer the most from elimination of TPS are the construction, restaurant and food services, landscaping, child care, hospitality and grocery industries—all of which employ high rates of TPS holders.

Florida lawmakers have been particularly vocal in demanding Congress grant permanent residency to TPS holders from the three countries. The state stands to lose an estimated 72,000 TPS holders if protection is revoked.

Four Florida lawmakers late last month introduced bipartisan legislation to grant legal permanent resident status to more than 300,000 qualified Nicaraguan, Honduran, Salvadoran and Haitian migrants.

“The continued short-term extensions of TPS have created anxiety and uncertainty not only for these migrants and their families, but also for their employers and neighbors whose prosperity also depends on them,” Republican U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo said in an October 31 statement. “While I will continue to support extensions for Temporary Protected Status, this bipartisan legislation would give these migrants the peace of mind to continue giving back to their communities, contributing to our economy and supporting their families.”

Nearly a quarter of million Haitians were deported from DR in 28 months

In October 2017, the Dominican Republic deported or refused entry to 10,945 foreigners of 8 different nationalities most of whom were of Haitian origin.

The Executive Management Migrations (DGM) specified that 4,931 of these people tried to enter the country mainly by ground, but some also arrived by air traffic.

About 6,000 Haitian in irregular migratory situation on the Dominican territory were stopped during migratory controls and deported to Haiti. Some nationals of the other countries were also deported to their country of origin including: Germany, China, Colombia, Cuba, Italy, South Africa and Venezuela.

From June, 2015 till October, 2017, about 245,000 Haitian who lived in irregular migratory situation on the Dominican territory, returned voluntarily or were deported to Haiti by Dominican authorities.

The First International Piano Festival in Haiti

Launched in Jacmel on November 8^th at Vital Hall, a piano festival took place in the southern city over the course of four days. 

The Jacmélien public was there… comprised of adults and many children, who participated in workshops and two concerts.

The first, on Friday, November 10^th was with the young pianist David Bontemps founder of Quintet Macaya who amazed his audience by playing pieces by Haitian composers such as Justin Elie, and Ludovic Lamothe, as well as some of his own work.  The next day on Saturday it was the trio of French musicians who took the public through compositions of Russian composers. Prokokiev, Tchaikosky Rachmaninof, Chostakovitch.

The festival packed its bags on Sunday, November 12^th to head to Port-au-Prince. There, three concert were planned: two at the Centre D’art, and the third at the Habitation Leclerc.

There again everything was free of charge. This festival was made possible by the Embassy of France, the French Institute, The French Aliance, the European Union and Fokal.

Edwidge Danticat wins the 2018 Neustadt International Prize for Literature

NORMAN — Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat has been named the winner of the 2018 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, officials announced Thursday evening.

Danticat's award includes $50,000, a silver replica of an eagle feather and a certificate.

The announcement was made at a reception at the University of Oklahoma, home to World Literature Today, the university's award-winning magazine of international literature and culture. The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is awarded in alternating years with the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature.

"Danticat is the author of stories, essays, travel commentary, film scripts, YA novels and four novels," according to a news release. "In addition to a Pushcart Prize, a National Book Critics Circle Award, the BOCAS Prize, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, Danticat won a MacArthur Fellowship and holds two honorary degrees."

Her first novel, 1994's "Breath, Eyes, Memory," was included in Oprah's Book Club in 1998.

"Danticat experiments with form and structure and frequently references the literary history of Haiti and the Caribbean" the release notes. "She paints scenes of immigrant life in New York and Miami with fresh details and palpable familiarity."

Robert Con Davis-Undiano, World Literature Today's executive director, said in the release that Danticat is a “master writer whose newest work promises even greater heights.”

The Neustadt Prize is the first international literary award of its scope to originate in the U.S., the release states, and is one of the only international prizes available to poets, novelists and playwrights. Any living author writing from anywhere in the world is eligible for the prestigious award. The jury is comprised of acclaimed international authors.

Funeral of Papa Pyè

Following an evening of tributes organized at the Museum of the National Pantheon (MUPANAH) in Haiti last Thursday, to honor Jean Claude Joseph, the beloved Haitian comedian "Papa Pyè," his final burial took place on Saturday in Silver Spring, Maryland. Limond Toussaint, Haiti’s Minister of Culture headed a delegation comprised of officials from the ministry and Haitian theater. He also represented President Moses at the funeral of the star of “Lavi nan Bouk”, who died on October 18^th in Orlando

The ceremony, celebrated by Reverend Father Mike Homme, took place in the Riderwood Village Chapel in Silver Spring, Maryland in the presence of relatives, friends and colleagues of the deceased, as well as Haitian officials among whom were the President of the Haitian Parliament’s Commission of Culture and Communication, Caleb Desrameux and officials from the Haitian Embassy in Washington, in particular Weibert Arthus, who is an advisor to the minister.

Jean Claude Joseph, was the founder of the troop "Papa Pyè" and the creator of the series: "Lavi nan Bouk", "Papa Pyè's adventures", "Cric-Crac” etc.... Having left Haiti in 1985, Jean Claude Joseph obtained roles in three full-length films: "Fly People", "Djab Baba" and "The Green Card."

France honors the famous Haitian pianist Micheline Laudun Denis

During a ceremony at her residence last week, French Ambassadress Elisabeth Beton Delègue handed the Knight's Badge of Order for the Arts and Letters to the pianist Micheline Laudun Denis, in the presence of Denis’ family, her close friends and other personalities in the art world.

An alumnus of the Higher National Conservatory for Music and Dance of Paris, Laudun Denis is among the most talented pianists of Haiti. Her career led her to main stages of Haiti and to the National Palace, as well as concert halls in Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean and Africa.

An outstanding interpreter of classical music, Laudun Denis also became famous throughout her brilliant career as a talented instructor, and well as a significant contributor to recitals of classical music in Haiti.

By distinguishing Laudun, France wished to pay tribute to the remarkable talent and the magnificent career of this illustrious musician, but also to reward her commitment without failing in favor of learning classical music in Haiti and transmitting Haiti’s musical heritage.

Taiwan is ready to grant a 150 million dollar loan Haiti within the framework of the construction of a national electricity network

Returning from Taiwan at the head of a delegation of 6 senators, the president of the Senate Yourie Latortue lifted the veil on a project that is within the framework of the president’s vision to bring electricity to the country.

Youri Latortue confided that Taiwanese are in our walls, to study the feasibility of a national electricity network.

A Catalog of on-line exportable Haitian products - A new era in Haitian business

By: Laurent Eugène

The Center of Facilitation of Investments (CFI) in association with the Chamber of Commerce and industry of Haiti (CCIH) and the Inter-American Development Bank (BID) and of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) officially launched a catalog of Haitian products available on-line.

"This catalog of on-line exportable Haitian products, is a new opportunity for the producers and the Haitian exporters," declared Yvone Hell, Director of the Development program of the United Nations. She added that this platform will allow Haitian storekeepers to easily sell their products worldwide.

For her part, the representative of the Inter-American Development bank, Koldo Echebarria, believes that this initiative will favor the exchange between local and international producers, and will contribute to the strengthening of national production. She hopes that the country takes full advantage of it.

The individuals in charge of this platform invite all Haitian storekeepers to register their company on their Web site to share in this experience. It should be noted that this Web site offers a services in three languages: French, English, and Spanish.

The directors of this project hope that this platform is the beginning of a new era in the Haitian world of commerce.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 21 novembre 2017

 A new bill would allow all TPS recipients to apply for permanent residency

BY ALEX DAUGHERTY

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WASHINGTON 

As the Trump administration weighs whether to end Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Haitians and Salvadorans, three members of Congress are preparing legislation that would allow every TPS recipient to apply for permanent residency.

The bill, dubbed the ASPIRE Act, would let every person covered by TPS on Jan. 1, 2017, apply for permanent residency by proving before a judge that they would face extreme hardship if forced to return home.

“The Temporary Protected Status program was created with bipartisan support to protect human life,” said Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., who plans to introduce the legislation with Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal. “It advances American interests and values and we must work in a bipartisan manner to do the right thing and protect hardworking immigrants from being sent back to countries where their physical well being could be cast into doubt.”

The bill also creates a new form of “protected status” for TPS recipients who have been in the U.S. for at least five years. Instead of waiting for renewal or revocation of their status every 18 months, current TPS recipients would be able to stay in the U.S. for a renewable six-year period, though they would not be eligible for permanent residency if they cannot prove extreme hardship.

Clarke’s proposal is more expansive than a bill sponsored by Miami Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo that would provide a path to permanent residency for TPS recipients from Haiti, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras who arrived in the U.S. before Jan. 13, 2011. Ros-Lehtinen and Miami Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart have signed on to Curbelo’s bill.

The ASPIRE Act would also correct what Clarke’s office calls an “error” in existing law that requires TPS recipients who arrived in the U.S. illegally to leave the U.S. and reenter to adjust their status. Instead, a TPS designation would be enough of a reason to apply for permanent residency without having to leave the country.

Last week, the Trump administration announced that TPS for about 2,000 Nicaraguans will end in January 2019, while about 60,000 Hondurans will get a six-month TPS extension until July 2018 instead of the typical 18 months. The Department of Homeland Security did not announce a decision for Haiti and El Salvador. A decision on Haiti must be made by Thanksgiving.

Clarke’s office said her bill could attract Republican support because it does not automatically give TPS recipients a path to permanent residency. A judge must find that a TPS recipient would face extreme hardship if they return home.

“We’re not handing out green

ADVERTISING

Case file: Girls kidnapped to serve as sex slaves:

The children were discovered in a public beach - Kaliko Beach. It was a Kalico patron who alerted the police about the presence of these minors in one of the rooms. 

The police investigated and made several arrests. Among the suspects involved in this scandal were Haitian nationals, but also foreigners.

The public learned that those arrested for this case of human trafficking, were later released by four substitutes of the Justice Department, without any form of prosecution.

These four substitutes of the Public Prosecutor's department of Port-au-Prince have since been dismissed by the Minister of Justice and Law and Order. The dismissal letters, signed by Secretary Heidi Fortune, were approved by Prime Minister Jacques Guy Lafontant.

The four substitutes who allowed the release of the human trafficking suspects are: Jean Abner Emile, Jean Louis Elysée, Berthol Toussaint and Kenzy Joseph.

Péguy Jean, journalist

Haiti police accused of executing civilians

The deaths of multiple civilians in a police operation in Port-au-Prince has shocked local residents as the government battles gangs in the wake of UN peacekeeper’s  departure one month ago.

A police operation that ended in a school in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, has left at least seven civilians dead.

Residents say the number of deceased is higher, and some were coldly executed by the police.

The accusations of rights abuses come as Haiti re-establishes its armed forces after the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers.

Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo reports from Port-au-Prince.

Deporting 50,000 Haitians would hurt both Haiti and  the United States

Orlando Sentinel, Nov. 20, 2017 - As most people in America look forward to Thanksgiving next week, some 50,000 Haitians in this country — including more than 3,000 in Central Florida — are worrying about whether they’ll soon be sent back to a country still reeling from a series of disasters.

A textbook case for TPS

The Obama administration first granted Temporary Protected Status to Haitians, allowing them to live and work legally in the United States, after a massive earthquake hit their country in 2010. It killed 300,000 people, destroyed much of Haiti’s infrastructure, and left more than 1.5 million homeless. It was a textbook case for TPS, which gives the secretary of homeland security authority to protect foreign nationals in the United States from deportation, and allow them to obtain work permits, when circumstances in their home country — wars, natural disasters, epidemics or other “extraordinary and temporary conditions” — would cast doubt on their safe return, or prevent their country from successfully reintegrating them. TPS is not a pathway to permanent legal status or citizenship.

TPS was limited to Haitians in this country who arrived by January 2011. These are not undocumented immigrants. They are living — and more than 80 percent are working — in the United States with the federal government’s explicit permission. They are law-abiding; any Haitian convicted of a felony or even a pair of misdemeanors is ineligible for TPS. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, they are an important part of the work force repairing hurricane damage in Texas and Florida.

TPS has been extended several times for this group since 2011 as Haiti, not fully recovered from the earthquake, has suffered more calamities. A cholera epidemic imported by United Nations troops has killed more than 9,000 people and infected more than 800,000, overwhelming the country’s limited medical resources. Last year the worst storm to hit Haiti in 52 years, Hurricane Matthew, killed more than 1,000 people, displaced 175,000 and caused more than $1 billion in damage. And after the Trump administration decided earlier this year to grant another six-month TPS extension for Haitians, Hurricane Irma roared past the island and delivered yet another blow to its infrastructure as well as its farms and food supply.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has argued that conditions have improved in Haiti enough to end TPS for Haitians, but his own department in September warned its employees not to travel to some parts of the country because of security problems persisting in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.

‘Integral members of our neighborhoods, workplaces ...’

TPS for Haitians is set to expire on Jan. 22, but the deadline for extending it is next week. The legal authority to do so rests with the acting homeland security secretary, Elaine Duke. Last week 41 U.S. mayors, including Orlando’s Buddy Dyer and five others from Florida, wrote to Duke to plead for an 18-month extension. They argued convincingly that their communities and economies would be harmed without an extension. “Haitian TPS recipients are integral members of our neighborhoods, workplaces, religious communities, schools, and health care institutions,” the mayors wrote.

In September, Florida’s two U.S. senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio, and eight U.S. House members from the state — five Democrats and threeRepublicans — also wrote to Duke to request an 18-month extension. “The Haitian people, and now their government, continue to work diligently to rebuild the country after the earthquake, cholera outbreak and Hurricane Matthew,” the lawmakers wrote. “This work will be made more difficult if the country must also welcome back over 50,000 Haitian nationals at once.” This week Nelson and GOP Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami met with Duke to deliver their appeal in person.

Haiti doesn’t have enough jobs, food, shelter and services to meet the needs of its current population, let alone 50,000 more people. They would face unemployment, malnutrition, homelessness and poverty. Deporting these Haitians also would deprive their desperately poor country of the money they have been sending back home from their U.S. earnings. Ironically, sending them back to a country not ready for them could trigger a fresh exodus of refugees who would head for the United States.

The deadline for a decision from the Trump administration on TPS for Haitians is Thanksgiving. The only verdict that makes sense is to extend TPS, ideally for the 18 months that the mayors and Florida’s members of Congress have requested. Both the United States and Haiti could be truly thankful for that outcome.

Haiti 2016’s Worst Weather Victim

By

 Regional Editor

 -BONN, GERMANY – Haiti, which was hit last year by its strongest hurricane in 50 years, has been ranked the country worst-affected by extreme weather in 2016, in an index published Thursday.It will be interesting to see next November who takes the 2017 top spot.

Zimbabwe, which suffered severe drought followed by floods, came second. Fiji, recovering from the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the island nation, was ranked third in the Climate Risk Index published annually by research group Germanwatch.qui

Fiji is president of this year’s U.N. climate talks, where small island states are pushing for urgent action to curb planet-warming emissions, which are expected to bring worse storms, floods, droughts and rising sea levels.

‘When Tropical Cyclone Winston hit Fiji, more than half our population was displaced and disturbed,’ said Joshua Wycliffe, Fiji’s permanent secretary for local government, housing and environment.

‘And there’s not been a day when we’ve gone to work not knowing when another cyclone is happening,’ he said on the sidelines of the November 6-17 Bonn talks.

When a storm can severely impact the economy and health of a relatively large island state like Fiji, ‘you can imagine the devastation it can do to a smaller island nation’, he added.

Between 1997 and 2016, more than 520,000 people died in more than 11,000 extreme weather events including storms, floods and heat waves worldwide, the index said. The economic damages amounted to about $3.16 trillion, according to Germanwatch.

Nine of the ten worst-affected nations in that period were developing countries, with Honduras, Haiti and Myanmar suffering most, the index showed.

‘But industrialized nations must also do more to address climate impacts that they are beginning to feel at home,’ said David Eckstein of Germanwatch, one of the authors of the index.

The United States, for example, ranks 10th in the index for 2016, with 267 deaths and $47.7 billion in damages caused by extreme weather, he said.

The index does not take into account slow-onset climate risks such as rising sea levels or mts elting glaciers.

Some countries like Haiti, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are repeatedly hit by extreme weather and have no time to recover fully, Germanwatch noted.

‘Especially in smaller states, the consequences are hardly bearable,’ said Eckstein. Those losses underline how important it is to help poor countries adapt to climate change and deal with the damage caused by extreme weather, he said.

‘Especially at a climate summit under Fijian presidency, these issues have to receive the highest priority,’ he added.

Olivier Noël receives the help of a billionaire for his project

Olivier Noël, presented his company, Simple DNA, to the U.S. broadcast television show Shark Tank recently. Shark Tank is a show about entrepreneurship. It is one of the most popular TV shows in the United States.

The concept is simple: entrepreneurs alternately present their product or business ideas to investors. These investors decide whether to finance the company according to the relevance of the pitch.

On Sunday, November 12^th, Olivier Noël presented his company in front of the 5 million television viewers who watch Shark Tank every week. Simple DNA charmed the investors.

After having described the concept of "Simple DNA," Olivier Noel reached an agreement with the billionaire Mark Cuban. In spite of the initial offer of the British billionaire Richard Branson for 25 % of the company, Olivier preferred the much more interesting offer of 200,000-dollar by Mark Cuban for 20 % of the company. The famous owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team is according to the Forbes Magazine the 211^th richest in the world with a wealth estimated at 2.6 billion dollars.

Simple DNA can enlarge its operations with Cuban's investment, and therefore accelerate its growth. Two new partners, Olivier and Mark, reached an agreement that seemed to delight both parties.

Simple DNA offers a service a saliva donation which allows donors to contribute to scientific research while earning money on the supplied samples. The system is simple. The donor performs a questionnaire after having completed a profile on the company’s Web site.

The researchers working with Simple DNA formulate a specific request. The team selects the donors compatible with the request to pair them.

Once accepted, Simple DNA sends a kit and a device which allows it to share DNA and forward it to the researchers.

The participant is entitled to a compensation which he can pocket or share with an organization of his choice.

The company has a simple and clear ambition: create a platform which allows to help scientific research while making money.

Olivier Noel had the idea to create DNA Simple following the difficulties that he had as a researcher to find samples of DNA in rural areas. Simple DNA helps to solve this problem, which many researchers in the United States face.

Olivier Noel is an alumnus of the Institution Saint-Louis of Gonzague, and spent his childhood in Haiti. He attended Queens College, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry and an honorary research in biomedical sciences.

In 2011, he continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a doctorate degree in biochemistry and in molecular genetics.

He is a member of the prestigious Forbes Magazine’s prestigious list “30 Under 30,” which honors young people under thirty in the field of science.

A presidential decree appoints Jodel Lesage as the head of the new military body in charge of rebuilding the Haitian Army

President Jovenel Moise chose a former colonel of the FAD' H - Jodel Lesage, to manage the team whose responsibility will be the reconstitution of Haiti’s armed forces.

Jodel Lesage, according to colleagues at of former Armed forces, was a model officer who was disciplined, competent and honest in the ranks.

Due to his qualifications, in 2004, the Prime Minister Gérard Latortue chose him as head of the very first office of management for displaced servicemen. Also, in 2007, he was a member of the security team set up by former president René Préval.

Jodel Lesage is part of the class ‘74 of the military academy. For his new mission, which will last two years, Jodel Lesage will be accompanied by a team of five to seven former officers of Haiti’s defunct Armed forces.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 1 décembre 2017

 Trump’s visit to Florida met with protests over immigration decision for Haitians

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES, JULIE BROWN AND LANCE DIXON

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South Florida community leaders Tuesday decried the Trump administration’s decision to return nearly 60,000 Haitians to their quake-ravaged homeland, calling it “heartbreaking” and “shameful” while vowing that their fight has just begun.

“We all know that Haiti is not ready to absorb so many of its children,” said Gepsie Metellus, executive director of Sant La, the Haitian Neighborhood Center in Miami. “This is a sad day, a very shameful day, a depressing day especially on a Thanksgiving eve where a nation of immigrants would be rebuking immigrants.”

The outrage spread to Palm Beach, too. Hundreds of Florida hospitality workers came by the busload from across the state to protest at President Donald Trump’s private beach club, Mar-a-Lago, where he was scheduled to arrive Tuesday for the Thanksgiving holiday. The union workers from Unite Here waved flags and marched in the searing sun on a bridge overlooking the resort, chanting “Shut it down.”

Their message to the president: If you deport us, many of the resorts, theme parks and hotels, like yours, won’t be able to operate.

“I have six children. My mom and dad were killed in the earthquake. My country is nothing now,’’ said Marie Partait, who immigrated fromHaiti15 years ago.

2) Carvalho: Over my dead body shall anybody remove any child from the sanctity of our classrooms

Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools says "Over my dead body shall anybody remove any child from the sanctity of our classrooms, from the sanctuaries that schools represent in our community," during a news conference with U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson and faith-based and community leaders who support extending Temporary Protected Status on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017.

Al DiazMiami Herald

A $9-an-hour dishwasher at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Partait has been living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status, or TPS — the immigration status that protected her from deportation and that the Trump administration announced Monday will end on July 22, 2019. If Haitians choose to stay after that, they would face possible detention and deportation.

The decision by Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke came two weeks after she also ended the status for 2,500 Nicaraguans. She put on hold a similar decision for 57,000 Hondurans, triggering an automatic six-month extension.

But it was the decision about Haiti that incensed South Florida members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.

“This announcement will just give us more fight power,” U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, who represents one of the largest constituents of Haitian-American voters in the United States, said during a Tuesday morning press conference in front of the Miami-Dade School Board. “We will continue to advocate.”

3) Haitian student pleads for TPS extension

Marlene Bastien of the Haitian Women of Miami and other local leaders are host a press conference condemning the Trump administration's decision to end TPS for thousands of Haitians.

Charles Trainor Jr.Miami Herald

Supporters of TPS in Congress have introduced at least three bills in Congress, including the bipartisanExtending Status Protection for Eligible Refugees with Established Residency Act, or ESPERER, which spells hope in French. With Miami Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo as the chief sponsor,it would provide a path to permanent residency and American citizenship for immigrants currently living in the U.S. under TPS.

Wilson, who is a co-sponsor of Curbelo’s bill and another TPS-related bill by New York Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, said she plans to file her own legislation in the coming days. Her bill, she said, will be exclusively focused on the estimated 59,000 Haitians with TPS who meet certain requirements to adjust their status to legal permanent resident within three years of the bill’s passage.

Similar to TPS’ current provisions, the Wilson proposal will allow Haitians to legally live and work in the U.S. while their immigration application is being processed. Her office was still working on the wording of the bill Tuesday.

“It’s the only solution we can come up with to make sure that these people are not deported back to Haiti,” she said.

Immigration attorney Ira Kurzban said he’s preparing a lawsuit against DHS, which determined that the “extraordinary but temporary conditions caused by the 2010 earthquake... no longer exist.” The Obama administration granted TPS for Haitians after the quake.

“The conditions are now 10 times worse. We’ve had the cholera epidemic. You had two hurricanes,” said Kurzban, arguing that DHS failed to follow the law in determining why Haiti’s TPS should not be extended, basing its decision on ideology rather than facts. “They didn’t consider all of the factors they were supposed to consider.”

Kurzban noted that prior to extending Haitians’ TPS designation for only six months in May, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which administers the TPS program, had madeinquiries into the Haitian community’s criminal history.

“We think it’s... part of the long pattern of discrimination and racism against Haitians,” he said.

But whether by lawsuit or law, many Haitian TPS holders Tuesday continued to hold out hope that Monday’s decision to cancel the protection in 18 months would be reversed.

“Maybe it’s just the beginning for Congress to work harder with DHS to fulfill our dream,” Yolnick Jeune, 45, a TPS holder said during a press conference at Haitian Women of Miami on Tuesday afternoon. “Our dream is not to go back in a country that is not in a stable condition.”

Another TPS recipient, Ronyde Ponthieux, urged Trump to think about how the decision impacts families that have invested in the country. He was joined by his 10-year-old daughter Christina, a youth leader with Haitian Women of Miami, a group that also denounced the decision.

“I have a home here. I have a house here, but I don’t have anything in Haiti,” Ponthieux said. “We all know Haiti is not ready to receive those people.”

His daughter asked the president to consider the 27,000 U.S.-born children of Haitian TPS-holders and others with TPS — particularly as the holiday season approaches.

“Before you go to sleep at night, think about what you’re doing,” she said, wearing a hall monitor sash and school uniform. “What am I going to give thanks about on Thanksgiving Day?”

Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who organized the Tuesday morning press conference in Miami with Father Reginald Jean-Mary of Notre Dame d’Haiti Catholic Church in Little Haiti, said the decision will divide mothers from sons, fathers from daughters.

“I cannot be a superintendent of schools. I cannot be a father, I cannot be an immigrant, citizen of this nation if I did not stand with the 12,000 K-12 children impacted by TPS and the 5,700 adult learners currently enrolled in our school system equally impacted by TPS,” Carvalho said. “This is a matter of decency. This is a matter of common sense. This is matter of respect. This is a matter of compassion for those in greatest need.”

DHS has said only Congress can — and should— provide a permanent fix.

Curbelo, touting his legislation as a solution that could be much better than the TPS program for Haitians, Hondurans, Nicaraguans and Salvadorans, said he is united with other members of the South Florida congressional delegation on the issue.

“Today, while we have heavy hearts, we still have hope and we will continue working together until this gets down because we are a welcoming community, a community that appreciates immigrants,” he said. “This is only a tragedy if Congress fails to act.”

Légende sous la photo
Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, along with faith-based and community leaders hold a news conference to announce support for extending Temporary Protected Status on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. On Monday, the Trump administration said it was extending TPS for about 60,000 Haitians for 18 months until July 22, 2019 and then permanently ending the program for Haiti. AL DIAZ Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

ECONOMY WILL SUFFER IF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTS IMMIGRANTS FLEEING CRISES, ADVOCATES SAY

BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZON 11/9/17 AT 12:34 PM

The U.S. economy would take a huge hit if the Trump administration decides to stop offering Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to thousands of immigrants who have fled natural disasters, political persecution and pandemics, immigration advocacy groups and lawmakers said.

More than 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti have been granted TPS, and its elimination would result in the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) taking a $164 billion hit over the next decade, according to the Center for American Progress. It would also result in a $6.9 billion reduction to Social Security and Medicare contributions over a decade, the Immigrant Legal Resource Centersaid.

More than 80 percent of TPS holders from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti are believed to be employed, and if they could no longer perform their jobs, American employers would have to spend $967 million in hiring and training new employees, ILRC estimated.

 “TPS holders are essential contributors to the U.S. economy and society, and provide critical financial support to assist recovery and stability in their home countries—both things the Trump administration should consider as it decides the future of TPS,” the Center for American Progress said.

Deadlines to renew TPS for immigrants from El Salvador and Haiti are looming. At least 60 days before TPS is set to expire, the Homeland Security secretary must review the conditions for the TPS designation and decide if protection is still warranted.

Acting Secretary Elaine Duke this month ended TPS for 2,500 recipients displaced from Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch in 1999. The formerly protected immigrants have about a year to leave the U.S.

Duke is weighing the status for 57,000 Hondurans, having extended the expiration date by six months (it had been January 5). According to The Washington Post, White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly pressured Duke to expel the Hondurans, but she refused.

A decision for 50,000 Haitians, whose TPS is set to expire January 22, is expected around Thanksgiving. TPS for 195,000 recipients from El Salvador expires March 9.

Haitians received TPS in 2010 after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook the island, killing 220,000 people. Salvadorans received TPS in 2001 after a series of earthquakes left tens of thousands homeless.

The Homeland Security secretary can designate countries for temporary TPS in cases of war, famine, epidemics or natural disasters. TPS currently is granted to recipients from 13 foreign countries.

The majority of both Salvadoran and Honduran TPS holders have lived in the United States for at least 20 years, and at least 16 percent of Haitian TPS holders have lived in the U.S. for at least two decades. TPS holders from the three countries have 273,000 American-born children, according to the American Immigration Council.

Losing TPS would be devastating to those children, immigrant advocacy groups say.

“They would either face separation from their parents or be forced to relocate to a country foreign to them,” the Center for American Progress said. “Even the fear of family separation or deportation of parents has been found to have detrimental effects on children’s cognitive and psychological well-being.”

Job sectors anticipated to suffer the most from elimination of TPS are the construction, restaurant and food services, landscaping, child care, hospitality and grocery industries—all of which employ high rates of TPS holders.

Florida lawmakers have been particularly vocal in demanding Congress grant permanent residency to TPS holders from the three countries. The state stands to lose an estimated 72,000 TPS holders if protection is revoked.

Four Florida lawmakers late last month introduced bipartisan legislation to grant legal permanent resident status to more than 300,000 qualified Nicaraguan, Honduran, Salvadoran and Haitian migrants.

“The continued short-term extensions of TPS have created anxiety and uncertainty not only for these migrants and their families, but also for their employers and neighbors whose prosperity also depends on them,” Republican U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo said in an October 31 statement. “While I will continue to support extensions for Temporary Protected Status, this bipartisan legislation would give these migrants the peace of mind to continue giving back to their communities, contributing to our economy and supporting their families.”

Release Date:

November 20, 2017

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Acting Secretary Elaine Duke Announcement

On Temporary Protected Status For Haiti

WASHINGTON— Today, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke announced her decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti with a delayed effective date of 18 months to allow for an orderly transition before the designation terminates on July 22, 2019. This decision follows then-Secretary Kelly’s announcement in May 2017 that Haiti had made considerable progress, and that the country’s designation will likely not be extended past six months.

The decision to terminate TPS for Haiti was made after a review of the conditions upon which the country’s original designation were based and whether those extraordinary but temporary conditions prevented Haiti from adequately handling the return of their nationals, as required by statute. Based on all available information, including recommendations received as part of an inter-agency consultation process, Acting Secretary Duke determined that those extraordinary but temporary conditions caused by the 2010 earthquake no longer exist. Thus, under the applicable statute, the current TPS designation must be terminated.

Acting Secretary Duke met with Haitian Foreign Minister Antonio Rodrigue and Haitian Ambassador to the United States Paul Altidor recently in Washington to discuss the issue.

In 2017 alone, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services conducted extensive outreach to the Haitian communities throughout the country. These include but are not limited to community forums on TPS, panel discussions with Haitian community organizers, stakeholder teleconferences, regular meetings with TPS beneficiaries, news releases to the Haitian community, meetings with Haitian government officials, meetings at local churches, and listening sessions.

Since the 2010 earthquake, the number of displaced people in Haiti has decreased by 97 percent. Significant steps have been taken to improve the stability and quality of life for Haitian citizens, and Haiti is able to safely receive traditional levels of returned citizens. Haiti has also demonstrated a commitment to adequately prepare for when the country’s TPS designation is terminated.

In May 2017, then-Secretary Kelly announced a limited extension for Haiti’s TPS designation, stating that he believed there were indications that Haiti – if its recovery from the 2010 earthquake continued at pace – may not warrant further TPS extension past January 2018. At the time, then-Secretary Kelly stated that his six-month extension should give Haitian TPS recipients living in the United States time to attain travel documents and make other necessary arrangements for their ultimate departure from the United States, and should also provide the Haitian government with the time it needs to prepare for the future repatriation of all current TPS recipients.

To allow for an orderly transition, the effective date of the termination of TPS for Haiti will be delayed 18 months. This will provide time for individuals with TPS to arrange for their departure or to seek an alternative lawful immigration status in the United States, if eligible. It will also provide time for Haiti to prepare for the return and reintegration of their citizens. During this timeframe, USCIS will work with the State Department, other DHS components and the Government of Haiti to help educate relevant stakeholders and facilitate an orderly transition.

Haitians with TPS will be required to reapply for Employment Authorization Documents in order to legally work in the United States until the end of the respective termination or extension periods. Further details about this termination for TPS will appear in a Federal Register notice.

Source: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/11/20/acting-secretary-elaine-duke-announcement-temporary-protected-status-haiti

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Earthquakes could get worse in 2018 due to Earth's slowing rotation

Every so often, Earth's rotation slows down or speeds up by a few microseconds. While the changes don't affect us directly, some scientists think recent slowdowns could be a sign of big earthquakes to come. 

In a new study, researchers looked at every earthquake since 1900 that registered a magnitude of 7 or larger and saw an uptick in the number of big quakes about every 32 years. They also noticed an unusual pattern: Earth's rotation would slow about five years before every cluster of earthquakes.

The scientists can't explain for sure how the slower rotations led to more severe earthquakes yet. They suggest the small changes between Earth's crust and liquid core might be the culprit.

But considering Earth's most recent slowing period started more than four years ago, researchers say 2018 is ripe for severe earthquakes.

It's unclear just how many more there'll be, but one of the study's authors told The Guardian, "We could easily have 20 a year starting in 2018." That's more than three times the number of significant magnitude 7 or higher earthquakes so far in 2017.

Contractor for Puerto Rico Power Suspends Work, Citing Unpaid Bills

By FRANCES ROBLESNOV. 21, 2017

• With less than half the power on Puerto Rico restored two months after a deadly hurricane hit the island, the company hired to help bring back the electricity is “standing down,” it said, because it is owed tens of millions of dollars for weeks of work.

Whitefish Energy Holdings had already been fired last month by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority after widespread criticism and multiple investigations of a $300 million contract it received to help repair the island’s power grid. Even with the cancellation of the contentious contract, the company and its 500 workers were supposed to stay on the job until the end of the month.

Puerto Rico’s bankrupt electric company, known as Prepa, is behind in its payments and Whitefish cannot continue fronting the cash needed to hire subcontracted workers, Whitefish said. Dozens of line workers from Florida have already begun heading home, because the utilities they work for are nervous about payment, the company said in a letter to Prepa. It added that it hoped to resume work once the payment issue was resolved.

According to the Whitefish letter, the company has billed about $103 million — and $83 million is still outstanding.

The billing dispute comes as the amount of power generation in Puerto Rico has actually declined in the past week. More than eight weeks after Hurricane Maria swept through the island, toppling power poles, transmission lines and towers, the grid is performing at just 49.4 percent of its capacity. Prepa had reached 50 percent last Wednesday, before several power failures knocked out service to many communities that had seen electricity restored.

Thousands of businesses remain closed and millions of people are in the dark.

The payment dispute underscores the chaotic atmosphere at Prepa, which is $9 billion in debt and in search of a new chief executive after the last bosswas forced out on Friday.

“It may have not been the best business decision coming to work for a bankrupt island,” Whitefish’s chief executive, Andy Techmanski, told CNN.

He said the company had been assured it would be reimbursed for its work by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But FEMA distanced itselfwhen curious clauses in the contract saying it had been approved by the federal government and could not be audited were made public. FEMA’s director has vowed not to commit “one dollar” to the contract, and it is unclear whether Prepa has enough money to pay the bills itself.

A spokesman for Prepa said that the utility had stopped making payments after one of the subcontracted companies Whitefish had hired complained that it had not been paid. The subcontractor, Prepa said, asked for a freeze on Whitefish’s payments.

“Faced with this claim, Prepa had to stop the pending payments to Whitefish until the situation with the Whitefish subcontractor is clarified,” the company said in a statement. The statement did not name the subcontractor.