Press Conference: 50 Maryland Electeds Send Joint Letter to DHS Calling for Relief for Haitian Migrants; Haitian Migrant Who Helped Deliver Letter to White House Faces Removal Proceedings

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 17, 2024

From the Office of Councilmember Kristin Mink

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 17, 2024—Amidst federal budget negotiations that could result in new restrictions on the United States’ immigration pathways, 50 local, state, and federal elected officials across Maryland have signed a joint letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling for relief for Haitian migrants. A virtual press conference with signatories including Congressman David Trone, Prince George’s County Council Chair Jolene Ivey, and Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink, as well as Haitian Bridge Alliance Executive Director Guerline Jozef, was held on January 17th. The video of the press conference stream can be found on Councilmember Mink's Facebook page.

The letter (available here and further below), spearheaded by Councilmember Mink, highlights the direct impact federal immigration policy has on local communities. It includes signatories from the Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Wicomico County Councils, Salisbury and Baltimore City Councils, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, County Executives Marc Elrich (Montgomery) and Angela Alsobrooks (Prince George’s), State Delegates and Senators from across Maryland, and Congressmen Trone and Glenn Ivey.

“Immigration, far and away, is the number one issue in our office,” said Congressman Trone. “One in three cases are about immigration. For many in our country, immigration is a new beginning, a road to opportunity for immigrants and their families, but unfortunately for many others it represents a safe haven from grave danger, from gang violence, to civil wars, to overwhelming suppression of human rights. It’s these tragic circumstances that brought us together today.

“In July, the state department issued a level 4 travel advisory for Haiti: Evacuate all
non-emergency personnel. Our embassy urged American citizens to leave the country
immediately. Unfortunately [the] immigration process does not fully address the dire situation Haitians now face. I want to commend the Biden-Harris administration for all the work they’ve done for the Haitian community through the humanitarian parole or the CHNV program to provide legal pathways to seek refuge in the U.S. for tens of thousands of Haitans and other eligible immigrants from communities devastated by conflict, but we can and must do more to increase stability in the federal process to strengthen pathways with a safe and humane immigration system.

“Redesignating the TPS program to include Haitans who arrived here since November 2022 is a must,” said Trone. “And we must also allow those who are already here more immediate access to employment, so they can work to provide for their families. And we must meet the moment to help those like Meritha, and pass comprehensive immigration reform - something as Congress has failed to do literally since 1965 – that’s not rooted in hatred, not rooted in bigotry, but rooted in compassion and civility. For millions of immigrants, who built this country generation after generation, we must do better.”

The letter was also delivered to the White House during a January 12th meeting with Tom Perez, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. The meeting included Councilmember Mink; Meritha, a recently arrived Haitian resident of Mink’s district who will be in court this afternoon facing removal proceedings; Guerline Jozef, founder and Executive Director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance; and Genevieve Augustin, Legal Director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN DC).

“My district’s large, diverse immigrant population is one of our greatest strengths, as it is for this country as a whole. I think the conversations at the federal level can sometimes seem abstract. I spearheaded the Maryland letter because we need officials on the Hill to know that federal immigration policy is not only at the core of who and what America is supposed to be, it also has a very tangible impact on the ground within our communities,” said Councilmember Mink. “Meritha’s situation illustrates how our Haitian newcomers are falling through the cracks of the immigration system, with those arriving over the last year facing immediate removal proceedings even after entering legally, and despite Haiti being completely unable to safely receive them.”

“Right now,” said Mink, “local electeds need Capitol Hill to be fixing the broken parts of our immigration system, not bargaining away their ability to do so in budget negotiations.”

She went on to highlight signatories from Wicomico County and the Salisbury City Council, where Haitians represent a large part of the workforce on poultry farms and in other industries.

Chair Jolene Ivey said, “In the aftermath of President Jovenel Moïse’s tragic assassination in Haiti, refugees are facing dire challenges amidst turmoil. The heightened risk of disease outbreak, and overcrowded conditions exacerbated by breakdowns in essential services demands urgent international support. Food insecurity looms large as more than 40% of Haiti’s population is currently experiencing acute food insecurity. Refugees lack basic services like clean water and education. It’s crucial for the international community to unite in providing immediate assistance, advocating for refugees’ rights and addressing the pressing humanitarian needs to ensure their well being and dignity during this pressing time.”

“Plase join us as we all call on Secretary Mayorkas to prevent the deportation of law abiding Haitian community members to a country unable to safely receive them,” said Chair Ivey. Suspending these removal proceedings would be in keeping with both US policy and guidance from the United Nations, and its just right as human beings.” Chair Ivey also highlighted the support for this issue of County Executive Alsobrooks and Congressman Ivey. Haitian Bridge Alliance Executive Director said, “I am grateful for each and every one of you [who signed the letter], and I bring to you the voices of the Haitian community in asking for protections over deportations. Currently, every month, we have a deportation flight to Haiti, and one deportation is coming up in a couple of days. And persons, like Meritha, who have become a part of the communities that they want to give back to, are at risk of deportation.”

Haitian Nationals who entered the U.S. after November 2022 are not covered by Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and many who entered after that date, including hundreds in Maryland, were immediately placed into removal proceedings despite entering legally. Meanwhile, the armed conflicts in Haiti that prompted the Biden Administration to re-designate Haiti for TPS previously have worsened to the point where the U.S. Embassy has shut down and the United Nations Security Council and member nations are poised to intervene – an extreme and historic action.

These conversations take place as Senate Republicans attempt to leverage budget negotiations to effectively end the United States’ asylum program moving forward, a move which would leave local jurisdictions to deal with the myriad ripple effects.

Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink and a Haitian constituent facing removal proceedings today deliver a letter signed by 50 Maryland electeds calling for relief for Haitian migrants to Tom Perez, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, on January 12th. Signatories of the letter held a press conference about the issue on January 17, 2024.

Congressman Glenn Ivey - District 4
“Maryland and the Fourth Congressional District have long been an area supportive of the Haitian immigrant community. Their energy, entrepreneurial spirit, artistic endeavors, and myriad contributions to our cultural fabric is very evident to the people of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. The immediate removal of recent Haitian arrivals without full adjudication of their pending cases is anathema to the very concept of asylum. Haitians seeking refuge in our country and my congressional district deserve to make their cases following due process safely. DHS must allocate resources toward advancing asylum applications of these Haitian refugees.”

Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Baltimore
“Baltimore continues to stand strongly for the protection of immigrant communities, especially those seeking asylum. The steps outlined in this letter are necessary for the fair treatment of those Haitian immigrants in Baltimore and across Maryland who are currently facing tremendous challenges in our immigration system.”

Maryland State Delegate Adrian Boafo - District 23
“I’m happy to join my colleagues in advocating for immigrant rights and ensuring the safety of Haitian refugees amidst an escalating crisis. It is crucial to broaden TPS eligibility, exercise prosecutorial discretion to halt removals, and extend humanitarian parole for work permits, all contributing to the overall safety and security of those seeking refuge.”

Baltimore City Councilman Kristerfer Burnett- 8th District
“As a local elected official, I am deeply committed to representing the interests and well-being of our community. The letter addressed to Secretary Mayorkas is of paramount importance as it highlights the urgent need to prevent the deportation of law-abiding Haitian community members who have sought refuge in our jurisdiction. The current circumstances in Haiti, marked by armed conflicts and governmental instability, make it imperative for us to stand in solidarity with these individuals facing deportation. I wholeheartedly support the call for actions outlined in the letter, including the expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), exercising Prosecutorial Discretion, and renewing humanitarian paroles to ensure the humane and just treatment of our Haitian neighbors.”

Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart - District 4
“I joined my colleagues at the local, state, and federal levels to urge the Administration to address the distressing situation many Haitians, who have recently and legally settled in Maryland, face. The current situation is impacting individual families, as well as having a
destabilizing impact on our communities. We implore the Administration to take immediate
action to avoid further suffering and instability.”

Prince George's County Council Chair Jolene Ivey
“Immigrants are an essential part of our country, and we cannot turn our backs on those seeking a safe haven from conflict and violence.”

Prince George's County Councilmember Krystal Oriadha
“The recent removal proceedings of Haitian immigrants from the United States contradicts the integrity and overall constitutional foundations of this country. If the U.S. embassy recognizes the danger of their own American citizens by calling for an evacuation, there should be no reason for Haitian immigrants seeking asylum to experience this destabilizing occurrence.”

Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles - At-Large
“As the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, it is important that we provide refuge for our
neighbors in Haiti, the Caribbean, and abroad, seeking asylum. I applaud Councilmember Mink, her team, the Caribbean American Advisory Group, and all community partners involved for their work in helping Haitian immigrants feel safe and welcome here in Montgomery County.”

Central American Resource Center DC (CARECEN DC) Legislative Director Genevieve
Augustin
“As the situation in Haiti continues to rapidly deteriorate to the point where U.S. embassy operations are impeded by staff evacuations, lockdowns and shelter in place, and the UN Security Council plans an extraordinary intervention, it is unfathomable and disheartening that attempts to remove Haitians from the U.S. continue. We applaud the efforts of Councilmember Mink and the other elected county, state, and federal officials working towards protective solutions for the Haitians that have come to the U.S. seeking safety and stability. In the meantime, we hope that DHS will exercise its discretion to cease current efforts to deport Haitians and allow them the opportunity to seek asylum in a non-adversarial manner.”

READ THE LETTER HERE

# # #

Release ID: 24-017
Media Contact: Chris Wilhelm 301-706-7843
Categories: Kristin Mink