Expedited Haitian Family Reunification Program praised by officials
Elected officials and community leaders gathered Thursday afternoon to praise a new program that will expedite the reunification of Haitian families in the United States.
Councilmember Mathieu Eugene hosted a press conference at 250 Broadway in lower Manhattan to honor the Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program, which will be implemented by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in early 2015. The HFRP Program will enable U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to expedite the reunification of Haitian families, hastening the visa petitions of certain eligible Haitian relatives of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents.
“I know that this opportunity will save lives and reunite family members who have been separated for far too long,” Eugene said. “Without this program, many Haitian families have been separated for five, 10 and even sometimes 15 years as they waited for visas to reunite them with loved ones.”