Thousands of Miami Students Could Be Ousted From U.S. as Trump Ends Protections for Haitians
Ronyde Christina Ponthieux is urging President Donald Trump to reconsider a decision that could completely disrupt her life. As a child born in the United States to parents who sought refuge from Haiti, she may soon be forced to relocate to a foreign country she has never known.
In a YouTube video, the 10-year-old fifth-grade student from Miami Shores Elementary School pleaded with the president to make a "wise, economic, and compassionate decision" and allow her parents to stay. Ronyde’s future has been uncertain since Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. This program has provided sanctuary for 59,000 Haitians since a devastating earthquake struck the nation in 2010, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and the displacement of millions.
Now, Ronyde’s parents, along with many other Haitians in the US under this program, face a difficult dilemma: either relocate to a country that is still recovering from the natural disaster or be separated from their children.
Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and himself an immigrant, stated that the government’s decision has disrupted the lives of thousands of students and has instilled fear in Miami schools. The district has nearly 12,000 children enrolled who were born in eight different countries under temporary status, with the largest group being 5,225 from Haiti. Additionally, Carvalho mentioned that another 5,700 students in the district’s adult education program are from countries benefiting from temporary status. Nationally, there are approximately 30,000 children, like Ronyde, who were born in the US to Haitian refugee parents under this program.
Ronyde’s father, Rony Ponthieux, remains hopeful for a legislative solution. However, it was his daughter who made a direct plea to President Trump in the video, urging him to put himself in the shoes of parents in the same situation. She reminded him of his immigrant background and marriage to an immigrant, calling on him to empathize and understand the pain of being forced to leave their children behind.
During a press conference following the government’s announcement to terminate the program for Haiti, Carvalho strongly criticized the decision and called on lawmakers to find a legislative resolution. He was joined by Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat from South Florida, who proposed a bill in October that would grant permanent resident status to protected status recipients who arrived in the US before January 2011.
As he has previously stated since Trump assumed office, Carvalho reiterated his response to immigration authorities potentially entering his schools: "Over my dead body."
Carvalho emphasized that this should be seen as nothing less than a crisis. He believes that the resolution to this crisis within the next 18 months greatly depends on the strength of Congress to pass long-term legislation addressing the fact that many of these individuals have US citizen children, and separating families is an unacceptable outcome.
Temporary Protected Status benefits around 320,000 people from ten different nations, with nearly 200,000 of them from El Salvador and Haitians being the second-largest group. When then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly extended protections for Haitians in May, he provided a six-month extension along with a warning that it was time to start considering their return.
The decision was disappointing, but not unexpected," she expressed. "Although seeing it happen made us sad, we had anticipated it. In fact, for the past six months, we have been actively trying to reach out to the Haitian community to explore alternative ways of finding relief, such as family petitions or U-visas. It is possible that many families may choose to stay in the country illegally.
The Department of Homeland Security made an announcement on November 20th, stating that protections for Haitians will be ended because the conditions caused by the earthquake no longer pose a threat. The decision grants a deadline of July 2019 for individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to either arrange for their departure or seek another lawful immigration status in the United States, if eligible. This timeframe will also allow Haiti to prepare for the return and reintegration of its citizens. Failure to leave the U.S. by the deadline may result in deportation.
Meanwhile, the State Department is advising Haitian parents to apply for passports for their children who were born in the U.S. This is to ensure that their citizenship is documented before leaving the country, as it will be necessary for them to meet local authorities’ requirements for education and local services once in Haiti.
Carvalho’s main concern lies with the fear that students may experience, which can have an impact on their attendance and academic performance. He acknowledged that in the coming months, the district may witness a decline in student numbers.
Living with the fear of deportation or apprehension, both for oneself and one’s parents, undoubtedly has an emotional effect that can affect academic performance," Carvalho explained. "We have been hearing accounts from some students and their parents about the consequences of this fear."
Central Florida is known for housing a significant number of Haitian immigrants with protected status, but there are other districts across the country that have also expressed support. Boston’s Superintendent, Tommy Chang, stated that the city’s schools will always welcome children from diverse, global communities.
"We will not back down from our commitment to welcoming members of diverse, global communities into Boston," Chang affirmed.
Simpson, who works closely with Haitian parents, mentioned that the majority of them wish to keep their families together. Her organization has been conducting presentations on legal rights and urging families to have difficult conversations about their future. However, for individuals like Rony, it remains uncertain whether his daughter, Ronyde, will return with him to Haiti if Congress fails to find a resolution.
"This is a dilemma for me," he expressed. "We do not know what will happen, but this is precisely why we continue to fight, so that we don’t have to face a choice like that."
