IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 4 

Expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals 

currently residing in the United States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 4, 2017 

Mr. HASTINGS submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States, 

and for other purposes. 

Whereas in October of 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated 

Haiti killing over 1,000 people, directly affected 2.1 million people including the internal displacement of 

175,000 and 1.4 million people in need of urgent humanitarian aid; 

Whereas the storm damage has been estimated to be 

$1,000,000,000, or about 11.4 percent of the gross domestic product of Haiti; 

Whereas Hurricane Matthew was the worst hurricane to hit 

Haiti in over 50 years; 


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•HCON 4 IH 

Whereas the Department of State warns United States citizens that current conditions make it unsafe to travel to 

southern Haiti due to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Matthew including roads made impassable by landslides, damaged roads, bridge failures and widespread 

damage to buildings and critical infrastructure; 

Whereas the total value of crop losses is estimated to be $360 

million; 

Whereas approximately 45 percent of Haiti’s southwest piped 

water supply was damaged by Hurricane Matthew; 

Whereas Haiti continues to struggle to address the devastating 2010 Cholera outbreak that has killed over 

9,000 Haitians and infected almost 800,000 Haitians; 

Whereas these conditions make it dangerous and inappropriate to forcibly repatriate Haitians at this time; 

Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security may grant temporary protective status (TPS) in accordance with section 

244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

1254a) to nationals of a country in which environmental 

or political events have occurred that make it temporarily 

unsafe to deport them; 

Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security has granted 

TPS to nationals of other countries under similar conditions, including Nicaragua and Honduras in 1999 following Hurricane Mitch, and El Salvador in 2001 following severe earthquakes; and 

Whereas granting Haitian nationals TPS would preserve the 

estimated $1,000,000,000 in remittances sent each year 

to Haiti from Haitians in the United States, which currently outweigh the amount of foreign assistance given by 


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the United States to Haiti and are crucial to the recovery 

of Haiti: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That the Congress— 

3 (1) supports the granting of temporary pro4 tected status to Haitian nationals currently residing 

5 in the United States; 

6 (2) supports the Haitian people and the Gov7 ernment of Haiti as they work to rebuild from years 

8 of natural disasters, economic hardship, and political 

9 turmoil; and 

10 (3) acknowledges that it is in the best economic 

11 and security interests of the United States for Haiti 

12 to be a safe, stable, and productive country. 

Æ 


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