US Citizenship and Immigration Services has released details of the steps that around 60,000 Haitian immigrants will need to take to renew their immigration benefits, in a program that the Trump administration will end next year. Haitian activists have expressed concerns because of the unusual delay in the posting from the federal government. It was posted four days before the end of their work authorization permits, resulting in difficulties with travel, work, and the immigrants’ interactions with other federal agencies.
The guidelines from the administration concede that work authorization cards will not be received by all re-registrants before their current permits end. Officials claim that the process details were not released earlier due to many factors, including working out the finer details of the language about work authorization.
According to Sharon Scheidhauer, a spokeswoman for US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the announcement made, which was made on Thursday, sees work permits for Haitian immigrants on the Temporary Protected Status program extended automatically through to July. Haitian workers will only have to show their employers the notice from the agency as proof that they still have valid work status in the US until the arrival of their new employment documents.
But, critics have slammed the delay, with Boston-based Immigrant Family Services Institute head, and Haitian immigrant, Geralde Gabeau, saying that the slowdown has only reinforced the message that Haitians are no longer welcome in the US.