The Department of Homeland Security strongly urged 58,000 Haitians who have been living in the United States since the earthquake in 2010 to prepare to be deported back to Haiti.
This after the department argued that the situation in the country had substantially improved since 2010.
Tod Mowery with Missionary Flights in Fort Pierce disagrees.
“This looks worse in many ways than the earthquake,” he said while showing pictures of Haiti after Hurricane Matthew.
Mowery said that the country has tried to rebuild since the 2010 earthquake in which more than 100,000 people died but it’s been an uphill battle, especially since numerous other devastating natural disasters like Hurricane Matthew took place since then.
He said even now homes and roadways are still destroyed and agricultural fields are gone.
“At least when you’re poor you could still go to the fields and get food,” Mowery said. “That was wiped out and it’s really been devastating to see those things. So, they just haven’t been able to get that leg up. We want to send people back to this?”
Sen. Marco Rubio had asked for an extension of the original July 22 deadline of the “Temporary Protected Status” benefits until at least January, which was granted.
Sen. Bill Nelson is trying to push to extend that deadline for another 18 months, saying Haiti is not stable enough yet to absorb that many people.
Mowery agrees.
“It’s heartbreaking for those families,” Mowery. “It’s heartbreaking for those families who now have to go back, knowing they’re going back to nothing in many cases.”
