Lawyer to TPS recipients: Plan for any possibility
Caribbean-American pols welcome new healthcare initiative
Caribbean Life, Jan. 11–17, 2019 3
By Nelson A. King
Caribbean American legislators
Councilman Jumaane Williams and
Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte on
Tuesday welcomed Mayor Bill de Blasio’s
unveiling of “the largest, most comprehensive
plan” in the United States to
guarantee health care for every New
Yorker, including undocumented Caribbean
and other immigrants.
“I was glad to see the announcement
today that the city will be moving to
expand healthcare access to uninsured
New Yorkers through the expansion of
our public option and through the ‘NYC
Care’ program,” said Williams who represents
the 45th Council District in
Brooklyn.
“I thank Mayor de Blasio for taking
a leadership role on this all-important
issue,” he added. “I have been a longtime
advocate for single-payer healthcare,
and as we move toward the implementation
of that policy for New York
State, we should do all we can to provide
universal coverage in our city.”
While said that while many of the
details of the plan still need to be
expanded on, he was “excited by the
concept of using the tools we have to
expand healthcare to the 600,000 New
Yorkers currently left behind.
“I am also excited that both physical
and mental health are taken into consideration,”
Williams said, disclosing
that his family has “worked across many
areas of the healthcare industry.”
He noted that “just a few years ago,
when I faced a life-threatening health
emergency, the work of dedicated doctors
and nurses saved my life.
“All New Yorkers should have access
to this kind of high quality care,” Williams
said. “While the federal government
is more concerned with an asinine
wall than people dying because of a lack
of healthcare, the city should lead the
way in fulfilling the core principle that
healthcare is a human right.”
Bichotte the daughter of Haitian
immigrants, who represents the 42nd
Assembly District in Brooklyn, said she
has “seen first-hand some of the disadvantages
that our healthcare system
deals to people who are of a different
background than their provider, be it
racially, culturally, or economically.
“Everyone should have a right to
affordable, safe, culturally sensitive,
high quality health care regardless of
their economic situations,” she said.
“With NYC Care, the citizens of this
great city can finally exercise that
right.”
“The mayor said the plan will serve
the 600,000 New Yorkers without insurance
by strengthening New York City’s
public health insurance option, Metro-
Plus, and guaranteeing anyone ineligible
for insurance, including undocumented
New Yorkers.
The programs will include customerfriendly
call lines to help New Yorkers
— regardless of their insurance —
make appointments with general practitioners,
cardiologists, pediatricians,
gynecologists and a full spectrum of
health care services, de Blasio said.
“Health care is a right, not a privilege
reserved for those who can afford it,”
he said. “While the federal government
works to gut health care for millions
of Americans, New York City is leading
the way by guaranteeing that every
New Yorker has access to quality, comprehensive
access to care, regardless
of immigration status or their ability
to pay.”
“With today’s announcement of NYC
Care, New York City takes another leap
ahead of the rest of the nation in providing
mental health services,” said First
Lady Chirlane McCray, who traces her
roots to Barbados and St. Lucia. “Guaranteed
health care means guaranteed
By Alexandra Simon
As the ninth anniversary since the
launch of Temporary Protective Status
(TPS) for Haitians approaches, many
recipients would have been preparing to
apply for their final renewal and awaiting
its impending termination on July
19. But since a federal judge in California
granted a preliminary injunction
against the Trump administration’s
decision to end the program for Haiti
and three other countries — the deadline
dates are indefinitely delayed.
Currently, there are several lawsuits
against the Trump administration’s
move to end TPS for designated countries.
On Jan. 7, trial proceedings began
at a Downtown Brooklyn courthouse
in the Saget et al vs. Trump et al case
— a lawsuit challenging the president’s
motive to end TPS for Haiti. Despite
the outcome of the case being hopeful,
and granting Haitian immigrants
with some relief, many people need to
remain alert about any possibility, said
an attorney with the Haitian American
Lawyers Association of New York .
“I think right now a lot of TPS recipients
need to try and get in contact with
legal services to make sure everything
they have is accurate, and make sure
that they have the proper documents
and don’t miss the deadline to renew,”
said Ritha Pierre, a board member of
the organization.
Last year, Pierre organized a protest
to press the government officials
to extend TPS for Haitians, who were
granted the temporary documentation
after a devastating earthquake in 2010.
But recently, Pierre said she has not
seen the same momentum regarding
the spread of information, but hopes
that changes.
“I’ve seen a decline in community
forums and training, the spread of TPS
information for the community,” said
Pierre. “A lot of people are not sure what
to do, and I don’t think people should
just sit back and see what happens. All
of these changes are going on and people
need to know what it means.”
Churches and radio stations are two
entities that immigrants often turn to,
and serve as great avenues to getting
the information out to people, she said.
She said with more advocacy from
not only the recipients, but from local
and community leaders — people living
and working in the U.S. with TPS will at
least be prepared for the best and worst,
because of President Trump’s unpredictable
actions.
“Things are moving in a direction
that may be a hope to getting a longer
extension or pathway to extension or
citizenship,” said Pierre.
Because of the court battles, she is
hopeful that with enough advocacy and
attention brought to it, a positive conclusive
result is very likely.
“At one point in time you didn’t think
there was any hope,” said Pierre. “But
with all the different cases coming out
and rallies and lawsuits that are being
filed — it is being acknowledged, and
these are small victories.”
She said whatever the outcome of the
trial, or if other lawsuits are won, she
urged recipients to remain up-to-date
with what is current, and create a plan
should no extension get granted.
“I want people to be vigilant, have a
plan of action, and stay engaged with
what’s going on, and if there is a rally,
don’t stay home and just watch it,” she
said. “With any situation in life, you
don’t want to live in fear, but you do
want to be prepared and not because of
the lack of information.”
Haitian-American atttorney, Ritha Pierre, center, rallying at a protest she
co-organized with the Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York
and other advocacy groups last year. Caleb Caldwell
Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady
Chirlane McCray guaranteeing primary
and specialty care to 600,000
uninsured New Yorkers.
Offi ce of the Mayor
Continued on Page 8