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RESOLUTION URGING PRESIDENT OBAMA�S ADMINISTRATION TO EXTEND TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR HAITIAN NATIONALS AND ALSO EXTEND THE REGISTRATION PERIOD

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WHEREAS, on January 15, 2010, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals who were in the U.S. as of January 12, 2010, the date of the devastating earthquake in Haiti; and
WHEREAS, the TPS designation allows eligible Haitian nationals to continue living and working in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, TPS was made available to Haitian nationals for 18 months from January 12, 2010 to July 22, 2011; and
WHEREAS, the earthquake was now more than one year ago, but Haiti is still dealing with many issues in its wake, including a cholera epidemic, homelessness, a painfully slow reconstruction and political turmoil; and
WHEREAS, a year after the earthquake, an estimated 1.3 million Haitians are still displaced from their homes, the cholera outbreak has killed more than 2,500 people and hospitalized another 58,000, >>and<< the preliminary results of the recent presidential election escalated into violence [[and most recently, the former dictator Jean-Claude �Baby Doc� Duvalier returned to Haiti]]1; and
WHEREAS, absent an extension of TPS, Haitian nationals would be expected to depart the U.S. by no later than July 22, 2011; and
WHEREAS, conditions in Haiti have not improved sufficiently from the earthquake for DHS to end TPS for Haitian nationals on July 22, 2011, and it too should be extended for an additional 18 months; and
WHEREAS, prior to DHS granting TPS to Haitian nationals, TPS had been granted to nationals from a number of countries, including El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia and Sudan, and TPS for immigrants from these countries has been extended; and
WHEREAS, in addition to extending TPS for Haitian nationals past July 22, 2011 for an additional 18 months, the period for Haitian nationals in the U.S. to apply for and register for TPS should also be extended; and
WHEREAS, Haitian nationals initially had from January 12, 2010 to July 20, 2010 to register for TPS; and
WHEREAS, on July 12, 2010, DHS announced that it would extend the registration period from July 20, 2010 to January 18, 2011; and
WHEREAS, due to devastation in Haiti, some nationals continue to have difficulty obtaining documents needed for the TPS application process; and
WHEREAS, other nationals may need further opportunity to gather funds for the application fees or determine eligibility for fee waivers; and
WHEREAS, thus far about 55,000 Haitian nationals have filed applications for TPS, but it is estimated that between 70,000 and 100,000 Haitian nationals currently in the U.S. are eligible for TPS, yet as many as 45,000 have not yet applied for TPS; and
WHEREAS, the registration period needs to be further extended,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges President Obama�s administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals for another 18 months from the current expiration of July 22, 2011; and further extend the registration period for Haitian nationals to apply for Temporary Protected Status another six months from January 18, 2011 to July 17, 2011.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the members of the Florida Congressional Delegation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Section 3. Directs the County's federal lobbyists to advocate for the action set forth in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2011 Federal Legislative Package.
1 The differences between the substitute and the original item are indicated as follows: words stricken through and/or [[double bracketed]] shall be deleted, words underscored and/or >>double arrowed<< constitute the amendment proposed.