Washington D.C., May 23, 2017 / 15:38 pm
The Trump administration's decision to allow 50,000 Haitian earthquake victims to remain in the United States prompted gratitude from the U.S. bishops' conference, which stressed the need for continued work to aid Haitians here and in their home country.
"While this extension is helpful, it still leaves many Haitian families in the United States in an insecure and vulnerable position, particularly with respect to ensuring legal work authorization," Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, chairman of the U.S. bishops' migration committee, said May 23.
The Department of Homeland Security's decision extended the Obama administration's protections for Haitians who had arrived in the U.S. within a year of the massive 2010 earthquake. They may remain with work authorizations until January 2018.
Sources in the department told Reuters that Secretary John Kelly of the Department of Homeland Security believes that conditions in Haiti are improving, but Haitians in the U.S. still need protections.