November 10, 2017

Dear Disciples Friend, 

Right now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering whether or not to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in the United States, which is due for a decision by DHS before Thanksgiving, November 23rd.

Also earlier this week, DHS announced a decision to terminate TPS protections for Nicaraguans, giving them only until January of 2018 to leave the U.S. Recently, DHS also eliminated TPS protections for Sudan.  

Today about 58,000 Haitians who have been in the United States since January 12, 2011, have been able to go to school, raise their families in safety, and send remittances to support loved ones in Haiti because of TPS protections. Now is our opportunity to demand that Congress and DHS do everything they can to protect Haitian TPS holders and extend TPS for Haiti for at least another 18 months!

Disciples pastors and church members in Haitian and Central American communities (like the young boy in the photo--who is in our Disciples Haitian congregation in Maryland) are our long term friends and faith partners!  We are therefore deeply concerned that DHS will end TPS for Haitians altogether-perhaps as early as tonight or Monday!

Go here: https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/missions-advocacy/refugee-immigration-ministries/refugees/background-resources/haitian-tps/ to read the story of just one of our Haitian church members with TPS in New York.

NOW is the time to let your Congressional leaders hear of your support for our Haitian and Central American TPS neighbors!!

Haiti's recovery since the devastating 2010 earthquake has been interrupted by a series of other natural disasters that resulted in widespread housing and food insecurity, exacerbated the cholera epidemic, and led to public health crises. As a nation, we promised to protect our Haitian neighbors by allowing them to remain in the United States. Our elected leaders need to hear from their constituents TODAY to urge them to do everything they can to uphold this promise.  

Call Congress TODAY, THIS WEEKEND, & MONDAY at 202-224-3121:

Tell Them to Urge an 18-Month TPS Extension for Haiti

*Please call 3 times to connect with your 2 Senators and 1 Representative

Sample Script: "I'm from [City, State, Congregation/Community] and as a person of faith, I ask [the Senator/Representative] to urge DHS Acting Secretary Duke to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians for at least another 18 months. Current conditions in Haiti - such as housing and food insecurity and hunger, the cholera epidemic and public health crises, and economic instability - exacerbated by Hurricane Matthew and subsequent disasters - make it unsafe for anyone to be deported to Haiti. Haitians should be allowed to remain in the United States while Haiti continues to recover."

And, if you are on Twitter, please consider tweeting this message to your leaders:

.@SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE Tell .@DHSgov @realDonaldTrump they must protect Haitians by extending #TPS for 18mo. Don't return families to danger. #Faith4TPS  (Also, copy RIM at:  @StanleyRea, and we will retweet your message!)

As people of faith, we are called to welcome the stranger, stand with the vulnerable, and love our neighbor. We have a moral and legal obligation to Haitians seeking safety and a better future for their families. For more information, please visit https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/missions-advocacy/refugee-immigration-ministries/refugees/background-resources/haitian-tps/ and

www.interfaithimmigration.org/TPS.

Thank you for taking action, and for all your work and support!

Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries

[email protected]      202-957-7826

Thanks for raising your voice and values of faith to support TPS recipients, and for answering the call to  "open your mouths to defend the rights...of the needy." (Proverbs 31:8)

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. & Canada

(2nd floor, National City Christian Church)

RIM is a ministry of Disciples Home Missions in Partnership with the Christian Church Capital Area and the Disciples Center for Public Witness