Haitian Deportation Relief Act

Bill: 116-hr-6798
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
Introduced: 2020-05-08
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Caribbean area

Congressional oversight

Detention of persons

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Haiti

Health programs administration and funding

Immigration status and procedures

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Latin America

World health
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-08
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-08
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Haitian Deportation Relief Act</b></p> <p>This bill defers the removal of any national of Haiti who is physically present in the United States on the date of the bill's enactment. The deferral period shall last until the later of (1) the end of the emergency period in the United States stemming from the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak; or (2) the end of the COVID-19 emergency in Haiti, if such removals will not overwhelm Haiti's public health infrastructure.</p> <p>The Department of Homeland Security shall prioritize alternatives to detention for an alien whose removal is deferred under this bill, unless the alien poses a significant public safety risk.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6798 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 8, 2020 Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi , Mr. Engel , Mr. Sires , Ms. Bass , Ms. Castor of Florida , Ms. Clarke of New York , Mr. Deutch , Mr. Hastings , Ms. Lee of California , Mr. Levin of Michigan , Mr. McGovern , Mr. Meeks , Mr. Payne , Ms. Schakowsky , Mr. Soto , Ms. Pressley , Mrs. Watson Coleman , Ms. Norton , Ms. Velázquez , and Ms. Wasserman Schultz ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To defer removal of nationals of Haiti during the COVID-19 emergency period, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Haitian Deportation Relief Act . 2. Deferral of removal to Haiti (a) In general An alien may not be removed during the period described in subsection (b) if the alien— (1) is a national of Haiti; (2) has been ordered removed at any time before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act; and (3) is physically present in the United States on such date of enactment. (b) Period The period described in this subsection shall begin on the date of enactment of this Act and end on the date that is the later of— (1) the date on which the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) ) expires; or (2) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, submits to Congress a written report assessing the spread of COVID-19 in Haiti and certifying that— (A) the emergency in Haiti with respect to COVID-19 has ended; (B) there is not a risk of community transmission of COVID-19 in Haiti; and (C) Haiti’s public health infrastructure is not at risk of being overburdened by patients suspected of having contracted COVID-19. (c) Alternatives to Detention program The Secretary of Homeland Security shall prioritize for alternatives to detention an alien whose removal is deferred pursuant to this Act, unless the Secretary determines that such alien would pose a significant risk to public safety if released into the interior. (d) COVID-19 defined In this Act, the term COVID-19 means Coronavirus Disease 2019.