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Archived from our former blog, The Beacon.
Visiting the Haitian-American Community in New York
As I write this, I am boarding a plane on my way home from New York City. While there, it was my privilege to join Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor David Patterson in announcing the creation of the New York Haitian Earthquake Family Resource Center at the New York National Guard Armory at 1579 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
The center will open its doors on Monday, February 1 and provide a number of services, including:
- Creole-speaking interpretation services
- Assistance with completing Temporary Protected Status applications
- Access to telephones to contact appropriate federal and Haitian officials
- Public use of computers for consulting a broad range of websites, including New York State's Registry of New York Citizens in Haiti;
- Child guardianship and custody services
- Legal assistance
- Mental health services
As all of us work hard everyday to reduce the pain, suffering, and stress caused by the devastation and destruction of the earthquake in Haiti, I want to urge those who are eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to use the resources available to them in New York and on our website. Also, please be careful not to fall prey to individuals seeking to take advantage of those in need. For example, forms can be downloaded from our website. No one should have to pay anyone else to obtain these forms.
Before heading to the airport, I took the opportunity to discuss the impact of the earthquakes on Haitians and their families in the United States during an interview on Radyo Pa Nou, a Haitian-American radio station headquartered in New York City. I discussed how Haitians can get help with TPS applications and answered questions from the Haitian community. I'm glad I had the opportunity to speak to people affected by this tragedy and I promise that USCIS will continue to do its best to help them.
Alejandro Mayorkas
Director, USCIS
Update: The USCIS website now offers videos on TPS for Haitians in Creole, French and English.
Comments (14)
By Eleanor Pelta, AILA First Vice President
H-1B workers certainly seem to be under fire these days on many fronts. A new memo issued by USCIS on the employer-employee relationship imposes new extra-regulatory regulations on the types of activities in which H-1B workers can engage as well as the types of enterprises that can petition for H-1B workers. The memo targets the consulting industry directly, deftly slips in a new concept that seems to prohibit H-1B petitions for employer-owners of businesses, and will surely constitute an open invitation to the Service Centers to hit H-1B petitioners with a new slew of kitchen-sink RFE's. On another front, USCIS continues to make unannounced H-1B site visits, often repeatedly to the same employer. Apart from the "in-terrorem" impact of such visits, I personally cannot see the utility of three different visits to the same employer, particularly after the first one or two visits show that the employer is fully compliant.
But USCIS isn't the only agency that is rigorously targeting H-1B's. An AILA member recently reported that CBP pulled newly-arrived Indian nationals holding H-1B visas out of an immigration inspection line and reportedly placed them in Expedited Removal. The legal basis of those actions is still unclear. However, the tactic is too close to racial profiling for my own comfort.
http://ailaleadership.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-is-h-1b-dirty-word.html
i lost my mother in the earthquake, we are trying to get my brother and his daugther here for the funeral under the humanitarian parole can you tell me what to do to get them here as soon as possible. thank you
could you give me some information about Tps? how can we benefit from it?
Alejandro Mayorkas
Director USCIS.
Brought to my attention that USCIS gave TPS to Haitian immigrants due the great earthquake in the Caribbean Country.I applaud laudable humanitarian action.One month later on the dawn to February 27 a mega earthquake, magnitude 8.8 Richter scale accompany by a tsunami struck Chile, leaving a trail of destruction and death.
I think it is fair to Chilean inmigrants get the same benefit.
Alex Sobarzo
Hello, And what happend with the H1B holder? that new regulation affect us anyhow?
I have my I140 already approved, and I waiting for my I485, is there any way to have an idea of how long this usually take to get it?
thanks
If you thought the Brooklyn Armory was impressive you ought to check out the efforts of the Haitian Family Support Center in Brooklyn on Flatbush Avenue. They are doing a great job in the community, for their people. Awesome and Outstanding. If you haven't heard now you've heard.
Respectfully yours,
VC