Democratic Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson once boycotted President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union over what she called his “racist” remarks about Haiti — now she’s pleading with him to save its people.
Wilson joined South Florida leaders Jan. 27 to urge the Trump administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitian nationals before the designation expires Tuesday, according to the Miami Herald. She described conditions on the island as “open warfare,” citing rampant gang violence, rape, and the collapse of schools and daily life, and warned that stripping protections would amount to a “death sentence.” (RELATED: Mayoral Candidate Rallies Gang Leaders To End Federal Law Enforcement In City)
The Department of Homeland Security has argued in federal court that ending TPS does not require Haitians to return home — only that they can no longer legally remain in the U.S., the Herald reported.
Wilson rejected that distinction, countering that the U.S. benefits from the 350,000 Haitian nationals who would be “thrown into a pit of despair and chaos overnight” and calling the move “inhumane.”
Rep. Wilson: “To send Haitians to Haiti is a death sentence… full of warfare, r*pe, and vioIence” pic.twitter.com/UrP8SkkNrS
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“These are neither criminals nor strangers to us,” Wilson said, according to the Herald. “These are our neighbors, our co-workers, our families, our friends. These are hardworking people in our community, parents, caregivers. People who have built lives and followed the law.”
The plea marks a striking reversal. In 2018, after Trump referred to Haiti and African nations as “shithole countries” during a bipartisan meeting, Wilson announced she would boycott his first State of the Union, saying the nation’s reputation was “smoldering in the ashes of his recent racist and incendiary remarks.” Eight years later, her own portrayal of Haiti — a land of open warfare, gang rule and collapsed institutions — is difficult to distinguish from the bleak picture Trump was excoriated for painting.
With one day remaining before TPS expires, no extension has been announced. Federal District Judge Ana Reyes is expected to rule Monday on whether to issue an injunction blocking the termination while litigation continues, according to Clinic Legal.