File:H. Con. Res. 4 (Introduced in House) - Expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States, and for other purposes.pdf

English: CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals

   currently residing in the United States, and for other purposes.

Whereas in October of 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti killing over

       1,000 people, directly affected 2.1 million people including the 
       internal displacement of 175,000 and 1.4 million people in need of 
       urgent humanitarian aid;

Whereas the storm damage has been estimated to be $1,000,000,000, or about 11.4

       percent of the gross domestic product of Haiti;

Whereas Hurricane Matthew was the worst hurricane to hit Haiti in over 50 years; Whereas the Department of State warns United States citizens that current

       conditions make it unsafe to travel to southern Haiti due to the 
       devastation wrought by Hurricane Matthew including roads made impassable 
       by landslides, damaged roads, bridge failures and widespread damage to 
       buildings and critical infrastructure;

Whereas the total value of crop losses is estimated to be $360 million; Whereas approximately 45 percent of Haiti's southwest piped water supply was

       damaged by Hurricane Matthew;

Whereas Haiti continues to struggle to address the devastating 2010 Cholera

       outbreak that has killed over 9,000 Haitians and infected almost 800,000 
       Haitians;

Whereas these conditions make it dangerous and inappropriate to forcibly

       repatriate Haitians at this time;

Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security may grant temporary protective status

       (TPS) in accordance with section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality 
       Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) to nationals of a country in which environmental or 
       political events have occurred that make it temporarily unsafe to deport 
       them;

Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security has granted TPS to nationals of other

       countries under similar conditions, including Nicaragua and Honduras in 
       1999 following Hurricane Mitch, and El Salvador in 2001 following severe 
       earthquakes; and

Whereas granting Haitian nationals TPS would preserve the estimated

       $1,000,000,000 in remittances sent each year to Haiti from Haitians in 
       the United States, which currently outweigh the amount of foreign 
       assistance given by the United States to Haiti and are crucial to the 
       recovery of Haiti: Now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 

That the Congress--

           (1) supports the granting of temporary protected status to 
       Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States;
           (2) supports the Haitian people and the Government of Haiti 
       as they work to rebuild from years of natural disasters, 
       economic hardship, and political turmoil; and
           (3) acknowledges that it is in the best economic and 
       security interests of the United States for Haiti to be a safe, 

stable, and productive country.