-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise in support of H.R. 1689, a bill to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status through March 20, 2029.

I thank my colleagues Senator Markey and Senator Blunt Rochester for their leadership on this important humanitarian issue.

This bill passed the House on a strong bipartisan vote, and the Senate should pass it as well. Supporting this legislation is the right thing to do; nationals of Haiti cannot safely return to their home country.

The Department of State has issued a level 4 travel advisory, telling Americans that it is unsafe to travel to Haiti due to the risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest, and limited healthcare.

The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits U.S. carriers from flying to Haiti because of the danger to planes of being shot at by the gangs.

But this bill is not just a humanitarian action. Haitian TPS holders have become integral parts of their communities.

In fact, our former Senate colleague Mike Dewine--now the Republican Governor of Ohio--called the Trump administration's decision to terminate Haiti's TPS ``a mistake'' and a ``job killer'' that is ``not in the best interest of the United States nor Ohio.''

He noted that Haitian TPS holders are opening small businesses, working, and raising families in Ohio communities.

Illinois is no different; hundreds of Haitian families in Illinois will be impacted by the terminations of TPS.

In fact, there are 350,000 Haitian TPS holders nationwide, with 50,000 U.S. citizen children who will be harmed by the administration's decision to terminate Haiti's TPS.

They work in critical industries, providing essential care to our elderly and harvesting the food that we rely on each day.

Business organizations and labor unions have warned that the decision to end work authorization for many TPS holders could have sweeping consequences for both workers and the U.S. economy.

DHS Secretary Mullin has tried to deflect, saying, ``Either try to fill out the paperwork and be here underneath a permanent status, or we'll help you get back to your country.''

But he leaves out the important part: The Trump-Mullin Department of Homeland Security has indefinitely banned processing for any immigration application from a Haitian national. So there is no way for Haitians TPS holders to apply for permanent status.

The administration's goal is clear: to force Haitian TPS holders to go back to a country where they are at risk of violence, kidnapping, or death.

That should tell you everything you need to know. But the President showed his hand long ago; I was at the meeting in 2018 where he used the term ``s-hole'' nations to describe Haiti and African countries.

I will never forget it--it was an embarrassment to the White House, to the Oval Office, and to the Presidency.

At the time, President Trump denied making this statement, but now, he proudly proclaims his bigotry toward the Haitian people.

I happen to disagree with the President. Haitian TPS holders make our country better every day. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this live unanimous consent request to extend TPS for Haiti.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source