Immigration Remedies for Haitians and Haitian-American Families in Crisis
03-10-10
By:Susan E. Reed, MPLP Immigration Law Attorney
The recent earthquake in Haiti
has been devastating for Haitians and Haitian-Americans living in the United States.Several critical immigration programs may
provide opportunities for relief.On
March 6, 2010, MPLP’s Michigan Immigrant Rights Project, (MIRP) along with the
Pro Bono Committee of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA),
Michigan Chapter, University
of Detroit Mercy Law School Immigration Law Clinic,
and the Wayne State University Law School Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic,
will hold a free legal clinic for Haitians and Haitian-Americans.The clinic will be held in Lansing
at the CentralFreeMethodistChurch, 828 North Washington Avenue.Volunteer attorneys will meet with clients
for free consultations and, if appropriate, the preparation and filing of
applications.Interpreters will be
available.
Haitian nationals living in the United States have recently been
designated as being eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).The Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
has determined that an 18-month designation of TPS for Haiti is
warranted due to the devastating earthquake and aftershocks which occurred on
Jan. 12, 2010. Renewal of that designation is possible, and, based on past TPS
grants, likely.U. S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) will process immigration applications for TPS
filed by nationals of Haiti
(and other individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti).
DHS estimates that approximately 100,000 to 200,000 individuals will be
eligible for TPS.However, anecdotal
evidence indicates that Michigan’s Haitians
and Haitian-Americans are largely not in need of TPS since many are U.S. citizens
and Lawful Permanent Residents.However,
many of those individuals are seeking advice and assistance with family-based
applications and our clinic will offer those services.U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent
Residents (LPRs) may apply for certain family members living abroad.With respect to the immediate family members
of U.S.
citizens, USCIS has indicated that it will expedite the adjudication of
petitions.The immediate family members
of LPRs will face multi-year waits for visas to become available, so this time
of crisis could be a critical moment for an LPR to pursue U.S.
citizenship.Advice and assistance with
naturalization will also be available at our clinic.
An appointment is not required, but potential clients are strongly
encouraged to RSVP to the Michigan Immigrant Rights Project at (269)
492-4360.