[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 542 Introduced in House (IH)]






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. 
Jackson 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 Nationality Act in order to make nationals of Haiti 
      eligible for temporary protected status under such section.

Whereas the citizens of Haiti are currently witnessing the collapse of their 
        country's nascent democracy as political violence 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 government 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 beyond 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 millions 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 nationals of a country where there is 
        an ongoing armed conflict 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 Burundi, Liberia, and Haiti itself in 1998;
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, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 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.
                                 <all>