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Thousands Descend Upon Washington DC advocating for TPS for Undocumented Haitians

WASHINGTON, DC – As late as July 24, 2009, President Obama in a roundtable interview was recorded as saying that the review on the issue of Haitian TPS is not yet complete.

This September marks the one year anniversary of Haiti’s devastation by four hurricanes which ravaged Haiti’s crops, infrastructure, and left over a thousand dead and over a million homeless.

Frustrated by the Obama Administration’s lack of action in response to desperate pleas by advocates and the Haitian Government, people from as far as Miami, FL converge on the White House in Washington D.C. for a day of rallies and talks with government officials.

The crowds that will gather bring a message to Obama that this issue of Haitian TPS will not quietly resolve itself. Advocates plan to build up their efforts until Haitians receive fair and equal treatment in US immigration policies.

“We want answers, says Marleine Bastien, Executive Director of Haitian Women of Miami, Inc. (FANM). “This is why we came in May 2009 and we are back again now,” she exclaims as she departed from Miami to join others in D.C. on September 16, 2009.

Starting at 11:00 am on September 16, 2009, a rally will take place in front of the White House. Meetings with White House and DHS officials are also scheduled during the day. The meetings will highlight the contributions of Haitians that will be lost if the US government does not provide TPS and a permanent solution to the crisis befallen the Haitians in the US and in Haiti.

In solidarity with the Washington DC rally, an action will take place simultaneously on the West Coast. The rally, coordinated by BAJI and Haiti Action Committee, will begin at 11:45 am in front of the Federal Building at 301 Clay Street in Oakland, California.

Also, on Friday, September 18, 2009, Haitian Women of Miami, the Florida Immigration Coalition, Free Haiti Now and On Point Entertainment and Marketing are sponsoring a TPS Solidarity Vigil from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Virginia Key Beach Park, 4020 Virginia Beach Drive in Miami.

The vigil is dedicated to the hundreds of Haitians who died on the seas attempting to flee Haiti in hopes of a better life here in the US. “We want to encourage the youth to reach out to President Obama and to let him know that we don’t want any more deaths.

Obama can help to end the desperation that leads people to risk their lives on the dangerous seas if he grants TPS now,” says Danna F. Magloire, Esq., one of the coordinators for the September 18th event.

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