IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 542
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary 
of Homeland Security should designate Haiti under section 244 of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act in order to make nationals of Haiti 
eligible for temporary protected status under such section. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 26, 2004
Mr. MEEK of Florida (for himself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. 
BALLANCE, Mr. OWENS, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. WATT, 
Mr. PAYNE, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. LEE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. EDDIE 
BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. RUSH, Mr. MEEKS of 
New York, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 
MAJETTE, Mr. WYNN, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. 
FATTAH, Mr. CLYBURN, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. CLAY, Ms. CARSON of 
Indiana, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. MILLENDER-
MCDONALD, Mr. FORD, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Ms. WATERS, Mr. JACK-
SON of Illinois, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. WATSON, Mr. 
THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 
BISHOP of Georgia, and Mr. SCOTT of Georgia) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Secretary of Homeland Security should designate 
Haiti under section 244 of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act in order to make nationals of Haiti eligible 
for temporary protected status under such section.
•HRES 542 IH 
Whereas the citizens of Haiti are currently witnessing the col-
lapse of their country’s nascent democracy as political vi-
olence and human rights abuses escalate; 
Whereas peaceful anti-government demonstrations have been 
joined by relatively small but violent gangs, which have 
killed an estimated 135 people, including police and gov-
ernment officials, have taken control of the major cities 
of Cap-Hatien and Gonaives, and threaten to take the 
capital city of Port-au-Prince; 
Whereas it is believed by many that the violent gangs are be-
yond the control of the political opposition, such that any 
existing or new leadership may struggle to wrest control 
of the streets from warlords; 
Whereas the violence in Haiti has escalated to the point that 
the United States Department of State has evacuated 
non-essential embassy personnel and recommended that 
all United States citizens leave the country; 
Whereas this existing and ongoing armed conflict in Haiti 
poses a serious threat to the personal safety of the mil-
lions of Haitian nationals presently in the country, as 
well as those returning to the country from abroad; 
Whereas section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
authorizes the grant of temporary protected status to na-
tionals of a country where there is an ongoing armed con-
flict such that requiring the nationals to return to their 
country would pose a serious threat to their personal 
safety; 
Whereas the United States has granted temporary protected 
status to the nationals of several other countries under 
similar circumstances over the last decade, including Bu-
rundi, Liberia, and Haiti itself in 1998;
•HRES 542 IH 
Whereas current conditions in Haiti are extremely dangerous 
and deteriorating, so that requiring Haitian nationals to 
return to their country would pose a serious threat to 
their personal safety; and 
Whereas permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily 
in the United States is in the national interest of our 
country as the world’s leading democracy: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the Secretary of Homeland Security 
should—
(1) immediately designate Haiti under section 
244(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and 
(2) grant temporary protected status in the 
United States to nationals of Haiti who are eligible 
for such status by reason of such designation.
Æ