Nassau County Legislators Carrié Solages (D – Valley Stream) and Viviana L. Russell (D – Westbury) joined activists at Legislator Solages’ law office to participate in a day of phone calls in support of the “Fight for Haiti TPS” campaign.
Solages and Russell joined activists and government colleagues, including New York State Senator Siela A. Bynoe, on Monday, July 20, in urging the U.S. Senate to pass Senate Bill 4814.
This measure would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This stepped-up effort to secure TPS status for Haitian citizens follows the Supreme Court’s June 25 ruling, which cleared the way for the Trump administration to revoke TPS for more than 350,000 Haitians residing in the US.
“It is simply inconceivable to consider the possibility of the United States forcing hundreds of thousands of people to return to a country that the State Department says is too dangerous for Americans to visit,” said lawmaker Solages, who in 2012 became the first Haitian-American member of the Nassau legislature.
“However, due to the Trump administration’s clear hatred and animosity toward the Haitian diaspora, it is a possibility we must consider; and it is something that we must all prevent by raising our voices. “I am proud to join colleagues across the state in the fight to uphold the promise of America as a beacon of hope to the world.”
For her part, Legislator Russell noted, “New Cassel and the surrounding communities of District 2 are fortunate to have one of the most vibrant Haitian-American communities in Nassau County. “We must do everything possible to overcome any attempts to disrespect or ignore our Haitian brothers and sisters, actions that seek to erase their immeasurable contributions to the United States, which date back to the War of Independence.”
“I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Congressman Solages, Senator Bynoe and activists from across New York State in the fight to preserve TPS for hundreds of thousands of hard-working people who contribute so much to our nation.”
It should be noted that the Democratic legislators of Nassau, Carrié Solages and Viviana Russell, will continue with the campaign of telephone calls from their law office on Thursday, July 23, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
