Some Haitians Should Lose TPS, But Some Shouldn’t

During an interview with “The Joe Pags Show” that took place Thursday and was released Friday, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) discussed his vote to extend TPS for Haitians and said he thinks some Haitians, like those who crossed the border illegally, should lose TPS, but “I’m asking for individual consideration of people who came here in good faith, who have never broken the law, who are working, who are not not a burden on our society. And “you can’t lump everyone into this rule. And, unfortunately, when Kristi Noem announced it, that’s exactly what she did.”

McCormick began by saying: “I’m not here to protect anyone who came here illegally. If you came here illegally across the southern border, even from Haiti, send them back to Mexico, wherever they came from, that’s fine. But there is a subset of Haitians who came here in good faith, legally, absolutely legally. And many of them work in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices, people I know and have worked with, who I respect, who have never broken the law, not a single law.”

He added: “If we take away temporary protection, that doesn’t mean they go home right away. They’ll still have their day in court. It just means they can’t work. For those who say, well, 65 or 60 percent of them are on welfare, now it would be 100 percent on welfare while they wait for their day in court.”

Host Joe Pags then asked, “So can we make that distinction between those who came here illegally under Biden and those who came here because of the earthquake and the severity of the situation in Haiti?”

McCormick responded: “So, that’s exactly what I asked for. I actually called the administration. I tried to do it in good faith. I said, please, when Kristi Noem announced that everyone was coming back, I was like, can we have a discussion about this? Because you can’t group everyone together. Not everyone was brought in the same way. Not everyone was brought in the same way. not the same enforcement rules as to how they work or when they’re going to be returned and how they’re going to be returned You I’m asking for individual consideration of people who have come here in good faith, who have never broken the law, who are working, who are not a burden to our society. And unfortunately, when. Kristi Noem announced that, that’s exactly what she did, and I immediately protested. I voted against those provisions.

Pags continued: “So I just want to make sure we’re clear, because I think I understand what you’re saying, those who came because they needed to be saved from the earthquake, and maybe those who were direct targets of the bad guys in Haiti, they came here in good faith, and we allowed them to come here, they didn’t cross the border illegally, you’re saying those who did it that way, let’s give them their day at the court. Those who crossed the border illegally, do you agree with the removal of temporary status?