U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts expressed confidence in the redesignation of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Haitians, emphasizing the gravity of the current situation in Haiti, in an exclusive interview with Caribbean Television Network to be broadcast on Monday, March 25, 2024.
In correspondence addressed to the U.S. Executive Branch on March 18, Senator Edward J. Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, along with House Haiti Caucus co-chairs Yvette Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on the Biden administration to extend TPS for Haiti and halt deportations of Haitian nationals, whose country is in the grip of a serious political, security and humanitarian crisis.
This approach is supported by 18 other Senators and some forty other members of the US Congress. A total of 69 members of Congress have signed the letter.
” … We know that there are people who are absolutely desperate, especially here in Massachusetts. We always welcome Haitians fleeing chaotic conditions, and we recommend that the President extend Temporary Protected Status to all those currently affected by this particularly turbulent time in Haiti’s history,” Senator Ed Markey told CTN.
Senator Markey is very hopeful that the request to extend and expand TPS will be accepted, noting that the Biden administration had already responded favorably to such an initiative last year.
Senator Ed Markey not in favor of transferring Haitian migrants to Guantanamo
More than 105,000 people from Haiti are currently eligible for TPS, according to the Associated Press.
“We will get more co-sponsors for this effort. We’ll put more pressure on the administration, because it’s clear that America needs to act with compassion,” the U.S. senator said in an interview with Emmanuel Paul.
The Massachusetts senator once again expressed his deep concern and opposition to the possible transfer of Haitian migrants to the detention center on the US base at Guantanamo Bay.
“Again, my goal is to make sure we don’t use Guantanamo. I oppose its use. I support the use of the traditional Temporary Protected Status. I think it’s worked in the past and I think it will work again, and I don’t really believe that sending Haitians to Guantanamo is an option we should be considering as a nation,” said Senator Markey.
The senator says he’s working very hard right now to make sure hundreds of millions of dollars are used across the country to help these new arrivals.
“So that’s our goal. Again, we’re in session. The Republicans are preventing legislation at this point, but we think we’ll be able to get tens of millions of dollars for Massachusetts to deal with this problem in the short term,” the congressman assured.
Senator Ed Markey also commented on Congress’ blocking of U.S. funding for the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) in Haiti, promising to work to help overcome this obstacle.
The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, and Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, both blocked $40 million requested by the US State Department, demanding that the Biden administration provide “many more details” before securing more funds for Haiti.
The $40 million would cover essential mission costs. In response, a U.S. government official had said that the State Department was discussing with Congress the approval of these funds, crucial to facilitating the deployment of the multinational force in Haiti.
“Obviously, the greater the stability inside Haiti, the fewer people will want to leave Haiti to come to the United States. So we’re going to ask Republicans to work smarter, not harder, to help Haitians where they live, help them get security where they live, and then they’ll be much less likely to come to the U.S. because they won’t be as desperate. So that’s our goal. Obviously, we have broad Democratic support, but we’re going to have to get more Republicans on board to get the funding,” said the Massachusetts representative in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Ed Markey emphasized the need for the Biden administration to continue working to establish a transitional government in Haiti, to enable the Kenyan government to provide additional security and policing services in Haiti. That’s our goal, and that’s why we’re pressing the Biden administration to use all its influence to achieve that goal in Haiti,” he told CaribbeanTelevisionNetwork.
Emmanuel Paul’s interview with Senator Ed Markey will be broadcast in its entirety on Monday March 25, 2024 from 7pm.