Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service

Like you, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is deeply concerned about the situation in Haiti following the January 12 earthquake. Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti and the approximately 1 million Haitians living in the United States and elsewhere who are coping with the devastation and the loss of loved ones.

Response So Far LIRS’s service expertise has allowed us to take the following actions:

• Called for temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians residing in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security responded quickly, announcing the establishment of a TPS program on January 15. The LIRS board of directors sent a letter of thanks to the Obama administration.
• Presented a live webinar, “Applying for Temporary Protected Status for Haitians in the United States,” on January 22. More than 1,000 people registered for the event. Webinar notes and audio are available for download. 
• Identified Haitian children in federal custody who are in our children’s services caseload and may now be eligible for TPS or release.
• Identified needs and resources in our networks including law firms interested in assisting with TPS, educational and outreach materials for the Haitian community, Haitian staff members, and Haitian foster care providers.
• Briefed Congress on Protection Needs of Children in a Congressional Hearing January 27, 2010. Read briefing statement.
• Issued a statement promoting best interests of separated and unaccompanied Haitian children. Read statement.
• Briefed Congress on Haitian Migration and the US Response February 4, 2010 Statement.
• Provided recommendations on Haiti response and best interests of children in a letter to a committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from the Refugee Council USA (RCUSA).  Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a founding member of the RCUSA, a coalition of U.S. non-governmental organizations focused on refugee protection.
• Advocated for unaccompanied Haitian children to be eligible for the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) program, allowing for more timely care. An exchange of communications between LIRS,  service partners, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) culminated April 29, 2010 with a letter from HHS. The letter expressed eligibility of Haitian children for the URM program and thanked LIRS  for work done on behlaf of this special group of children.

Continued Response

Please check back for updates on the following ongoing activities:

• Participating in calls with government officials and nongovernmental organizations to discuss policies and advocacy steps.
• Issuing calls for advocacy for fair and humane considerations for Haitian immigrants and their families. Join the LIRS Action Network to receive e-mail updates and alerts.
• Coordinating crucial children's services through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The funds will be used to serve Haitian children affected by the earthquake and in the United States with such services as continued family tracing, financial and social support, psychological support, legal services, and assistance with any child welfare concerns.

• Lutheran Services Florida, an LIRS resettlement partner, has been providing “repatriation reception services” to Haitians and U.S. citizens who have been airlifted from Haiti and providing interpreters for local agencies serving Haitian children.
• Lutheran World Relief and Lutheran World Federation are on the ground in Haiti providing relief services including water and water purification, food, fuel, and temporary shelter.
• Refugee Council USA, a coalition of organizations, including LIRS, that serve refugees, is in continuing communication with federal agencies to keep apprised of updates and share concerns on issues such as TPS, interdiction and detention policies.