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Author: Christina Duran

Barring Pathways to Safety: IINE Statement on Supreme Court’s Decisions on TPS for Haiti and Syria and Asylum Seekers

Written by Christina Duran on . Posted in Advocacy, Blog, Haitian Immigrants, Press Releases/Statements.

Today’s Supreme Court’s decisions to allow the presidential administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians in the U.S. and block asylum seekers at the border are cruel and inhumane. 

These decisions give the administration unfettered power to bar people seeking safety in the U.S. through legal pathways, and to remove the over 1.3 million TPS holders already here under U.S. protection and strip them of their work authorization. As a result, families will be torn apart; individuals will be forced to return to the unsafe country conditions the U.S. has warned its citizens of; employers will lose hardworking individuals; and the U.S. will be violating a century of commitment to help protect others threatened by persecution and oppression. 

In recent years, IINE has welcomed and proudly served thousands of people from Haiti and helped several hundred apply for TPS. This news is devastating, but we will not abandon our neighbors, coworkers, and friends who have put down roots and have made our communities stronger and more vibrant.  There are approximately 200,000 Haitian TPS holders in the U.S. workforce. They are business owners, nursing assistants and caregivers taking care of our elderly, agricultural workers, and construction workers integral to our economy and prosperity. 

With 1 in 70 people forcibly displaced across the globe, the United States should not be closing our doors and threatening newcomers who give so much to our nation. Instead, we should be creating more pathways for legal immigration and citizenship.  

At IINE, we will continue to advocate for and pursue every available pathway to maximize our clients’ protections under the law. We urge Congress to act swiftly to provide emergency protections for those at risk of losing status and call on employers to assess work authorization individually rather than making broad assumptions.

Learn more about how to get involved.

IINE Statement on Biden Administration Extending and Redesignating TPS for Ukraine

Written by Christina Duran on . Posted in Blog, Press Releases/Statements.

The International Institute of New England (IINE) commends the Biden administration’s decision to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine until April 2025. As Russia continues its relentless attacks on Ukraine—which have caused more than 5.1 million Ukrainians to be internally displaced and another 6.2 million to flee the country—returning to their home country is not a safe or viable option for Ukrainians. The TPS extension ensures the protection of the 26,000 Ukrainian TPS beneficiaries currently living in the U.S. and the redesignation will protect the 166,000+ Ukrainians who have arrived here more recently.  

While the TPS extension is a necessary step, it is not a long-term solution. IINE urges the passage of the Ukrainian Adjustment Act, which was introduced in Congress in June of this year. The Ukrainian Adjustment Act would allow Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees to apply for permanent resident status in the U.S.  

IINE staff at Boston University’s Ukrainian Festival

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, IINE has welcomed and served 615 Ukrainians, helping them to obtain cash assistance and medical benefits, secure housing, enroll in ESOL courses, and enter the workforce. We recently joined our clients in recognizing Ukrainian Independence Day. The August 24 holiday marks the date in 1991 when Ukraine’s parliament declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Celebrating Ukraine’s independence is particularly important in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion, and we are reminded of the courage, determination, and resilience of the Ukrainian people. For those who made the brave decision to come to the U.S, it has become home; they deserve the right to stay.  

IINE’s donors are our heroes! When Russia invaded Ukraine, you stepped up. You helped ensure that families who come to Massachusetts and New Hampshire find welcome and life-saving support. Now, your help is needed once more.

Violence, chaos, and widespread food and water shortages in Haiti are endangering the lives of its people. IINE is currently serving more than 5,000 Haitian immigrants – a number unlike anything we have ever seen before. Learn more and discover how to support this vulnerable population here: https://iine.org/5-things-to-know-about-the-crisis-in-haiti.