Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Frederica Wilson Host Joint Meeting on U.S.-Haiti Relations with U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Dennis Hankins
TAMARAC, FL – Today, Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) and Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24) hosted a joint meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Dennis Hankins to discuss U.S.-Haiti relations.
“Haiti’s insecurity and political instability have been plaguing the Haitian Diaspora for generations. As Haitian Americans, we share a common goal: we want a safe, stable, and prosperous Haiti,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. "In our efforts to establish long-term peace and stability in Haiti, we must ensure the country has a solid foundation for economic opportunity and growth. The HOPE/HELP trade preference program forms the backbone of Haiti’s economy and is critical in supporting the livelihoods of its businesses and people. I urge the swift reauthorization of HOPE/HELP to protect a sustainable source of income for the Haitian people as they work to create a more democratic, secure, and prosperous nation.”
“Now we all have the same objective here today: we want to see Haiti thrive. All of us have that shared goal. This is not about politics for any of us; it’s about uniting to find way to support Haiti,” said Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. “Many in our community of course have many families, friends, in Haiti still and for many here, Haiti is home, and that is why we want to find ways to support you as the Ambassador to ensure a brighter future. There is no doubt that the Haitian people, when united, possess limitless potential.”
“Through the Biden Program, nearly 200,000 Haitians have taken legal pathways to the United States, and that is since January 2023,” said U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Dennis Hankins. “A lot of those people may want to see themselves come back; these are professionals, small business owners, the kind of people who are key to the economy, the US economy, any economy in the world; they are impactful. We are looking at what we can do to create conditions, so people feel confident in wanting to come back.”
Joining Congresswomen Cherfilus-McCormick and Wilson included Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Board of County Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert, President of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, Prinston Jean Glaude, North Miami Mayor Alex Desulme, and North Miami Vice Mayor Mary Estimé-Irvin.
“Haiti is no stranger to challenges,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “This is a uniquely difficult time, where collaboration with our partners in the U.S. is more important than ever”
“It’s to be noted that Haiti was a friend of the U.S., before we were even a country,” said Miami-Dade Board of County Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert. “Their history is inextricable from ours. We must always keep Haiti at the forefront of our conversation because they were here for us when no one else was.”
“The history of the US and Haiti is strong, but it is had its shared challenges,” said President of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, Prinston Jean Glaude. “If I have to highlight one thing, that would be a stable Haiti.”
Congresswoman Wilson moderated the event and once the Ambassador finished delivering opening remarks on the current situation in Haiti and U.S.-Haitian efforts, she opened questions to other community leaders.
One of the questions included one from Father Reginald Jean-Mary. He asked “What can you see as the timing for the opening of the consulate so that people can have a fair process because it is very difficult for people to go to Barbados; there are many harsh conditions, and they have to cross the border, it is a very risky and costly process, and with that what do you think the timeline is for reopening the consulate?”
Ambassador Hawkinsresponded “I’ll be honest with my answer, and it is going to be awhile; the embassy is still at departure status. We are running at about 40 percent of our non-security personnel, and the limited consulate staff are focused on citizen services. As we move forward, our focus is going to be on the 30,000 outstanding immigrant visas. These are people who, because of direct family connections, there already have a presumed right to go to the United States, and that is a priority. The first priority is more staffing; if a security increase is enough, then Washington will allow us to go off-order departure. That will be the first priority. This is around a five-month delay, and from that, I think we are at least two years away before we can see nonimmigrant visas in an extended period because first, there will be a continued focus on American citizens.”
The event was held the event in Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church, where Father Reginald Jean-Mary is the pastor.
Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick ― the only Haitian American Member in Congress ― proudly serves as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a co-chair of the Haiti Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Haiti Working Group.
For photos of the meeting, please click here.
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