For several decades Holy Union Sisters from across the congregation were missioned to Haiti and served in Port-au-Prince and several small towns. Gradually efforts centered on the capital city, Port-au-Prince and Haitian immigrants to the sisters' respective countries. In 2022, after considering several important factors, including safety, Holy Union withdrew its physical presence from Haiti. At that time, the Congregation pledged to continue our support for the Haitian people living there or among the sisters and they have continued to do this.
Developments in the United States
A recent United States Supreme Court decision allows the federal government to move forward on its decision to revoke Temporary Protection Status (TPS) from Haitians and Syrians who are currently living in the United States. They are here legally. This situation calls for Holy Union Sisters in the United States to renew and intensify our support for the Haitians among us in the United States.
Holy Union Response
Five sisters in the U.S. area have organized themselves into an Ad Hoc Committee to respond to the revocation of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian in the United States. They are: Alice Arsenault, Paula Coelho, Eileen Davey, Carol Regan, and Mary Lou Simcoe. Their efforts will have three prongs:
- Education of themselves and others
- Support for Haitian immigrants
- Advocacy to let their elected officials know they support their work on legislation to protect Haitian immigrants.
These five sisters have met with a small group of Haitian TPS holders to have a better sense of their concerns. This will help them to develop concrete plans forward. The sisters have shared news of this effort first with the sisters of the U.S. area and more widely on the United States website and the U.S. Facebook Page
United States Government position on travel to Haiti
On its website, the U.S. State Department publishes information about travel for United States citizens visiting different countries. Visit the above link which offers an assessment by the US State Depart of the risks travelers to Haiti face. Haitians living there as well as those deported from the United States face the same risk.
WHAT IS TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS?
Temporary protected status (TPS) is given by the United States government to eligible immigrants from designated countries who are present in the United States.
In general, the US. Government may grant temporary protected status to people already present in the United States who are from a country experiencing ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or any temporary or extraordinary conditions that would prevent the foreign national from returning safely. This included the 2010 earthquake in Port au Prince,
Temporary protected status allows beneficiaries to live and, in some cases, work in the United States for a limited amount of time. During the period for which a country has been designated for TPS, beneficiaries may remain in the United States and may obtain work authorization.
In March 2026, approximately 350,000 Haitian people had TPS.