Ga. Haitian community wary as protected status is extended

ATLANTA, Ga. — Hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants holding temporary protected status in the United States received a two-week extension Friday.

That allows them to continue living and working legally in the country while their long-term status remains uncertain.

The extension came as demonstrators gathered outside the Georgia Capitol, angered by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that would allow the Department of Homeland Security to make TPS decisions without court review. More than 300,000 Haitians hold TPS nationwide, with tens of thousands living in Georgia.

Dr. Jean Billy Beaufils, president of the Georgia Haitian Leadership Coalition, was born in Haiti and moved to the United States when he was 20. He said current conditions in Haiti make return dangerous.

“The entire area of Port-au-Prince and some other areas have been controlled by gangs,” Beaufils said.

Beaufils said the Trump administration is aware of the situation on the ground.

“Of course the administration knows full well the condition of Haiti is chaotic,” he said.

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians have been granted TPS in the United States since 2010 following a catastrophic earthquake. Beaufils acknowledged the program’s intended scope.

“Haitians love America and we understand TPS is temporary,” he said.

The State Department classifies Haiti with a Level 4 travel advisory — its highest — due to crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest and limited health care. Other countries carrying a Level 4 designation include Iran, Russia, North Korea and Ukraine.

Beaufils described what he believes would happen if Haitians were forced to return.

“In my view, a lot of them will be killed, a lot of them will be raped, a lot of them will have a lot of different issues because these areas, for the most part, are controlled,” he said.

He also questioned the rationale for deportation.

“The condition of the country, my administration declared to be chaotic, run by terrorists — so why would I want to send over 300,000 Haitians back unless it’s a death wish?” Beaufils said.

Despite the uncertainty, Beaufils said he remains hopeful.

“God is still in business of making miracles happen, so I am hopeful that God will have the last say, not the administration,” he said.

Several other countries that were scheduled to have TPS ended Friday also received extensions through next Friday. Those countries include Syria, Somalia, South Sudan, Burma, Yemen and Ethiopia.