[MIAMI-DADE] – The Miami-Dade County Commission approved a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Jean Monestime on July 8 urging President Joe Biden and U.S. Congress to allocate $1 million to help cover the filing costs for Haitian and Venezuelan nationals seeking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States. The resolution also directs the County to identify any available funds to help Community-Based Organizations with TPS filing.
With TPS designated for Haiti and Venezuela, many nonprofit organizations already have begun efforts to assist people with filing for TPS. Such organizations are in need of financial assistance to carry out these efforts.
Legal Limbo
“There are Haitian and Venezuelan nationals who are in legal limbo. They don’t have the finances to pay an attorney or a for-profit agency to file for TPS,” Commissioner Monestime said. “We need to assist them whichever way we can and offer them a shoulder to lean on.”
TPS Designation
On May 22, 2021, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced a new TPS designation for Haiti for 18 months. The new designation enables Haitian nationals (and individuals without nationality who last resided in Haiti) currently residing in the United States as of May 21, 2021, to file initial applications for TPS, as long as they meet eligibility requirements.
In support of the decision, Secretary Mayorkas stated that “Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Crisis in Haiti
Commissioner Monestime said such conditions likely will intensify after the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse. “Prior to the president’s assassination, anger and frustration boiled over into the streets of Haiti. Leading to incessant violence, destruction, and fear of the rivaling and warring factions and gangs,” he said.
TPS also has been designated for Venezuelans through Sept. 9, 2022, due to its ongoing conflict. Venezuela is facing a severe humanitarian emergency, with millions unable to access basic healthcare, adequate nutrition or safe water.
