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Haitians relieved to stay in US for now, but want reform

Thousands of Haitian immigrants now have to go back to Haiti after President Donald Trump set a deadline for them to leave.
An immigration lawyer, who got back from a visit to Haiti on Monday, said the country isn't prepared for the influx of people.
Trump has given the immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for the last seven years under the Temporary Protected Status 18 months to leave.
The director at the Radio Haiti Tropical radio station said people called in all day Tuesday to discuss the topic.
Trump administration said Haiti's the status ends in 2019.
The status allowed Haitians to flee to the U.S. after a devastating 2010 earthquake.
Immigration attorney Lovandieu Laurore said he has about a dozen clients who are in the U.S. under the Temporary Protected Status.
He's telling clients to prepare.
"They allow a transition period of 18 months for them to either obtain the travel documents to travel back to Haiti, or the possibility that they can adjust their status,” said Laurore.
Doing nothing is not an option, but future options are unclear.
"You will face deportation,” Laurore said.
Last Friday, Sen. Marco Rubio wrote in favor of extending the designation, and on Tuesday, Sen. Bill Nelson spoke out against the Trump administration's decision.
"It's just impractical to think that you can send 60,000 people back to Haiti all at once,” Nelson said.
He didn't give a number, but said most live Florida.
Nelson wants Congress to create a path for Temporary Protected Status recipients to become permanent residents, which was never part of the original plan.
The Trump administration said the status has been re-designate, and extended several times, and it's now time for people to go home, arguing the status was always a temporary fix.
Laurore said Haiti’s  infrastructure is still bad and electricity is not reliable.
"Having people repatriated back to Haiti at this point would be a nightmare,” said Laurore.
The director said now the pressure is on Congress and he and other in the Haitian community said they'll be looking toward those leaders to pass some sort of immigration reform.
Cierra Putman

Cierra Putman, WFTV.com

Cierra Putman flew south to join Eyewitness News in July 2016.