The Miami Herald reported today that the Catholic Church with help from the U.S. government is putting in motion, a relief effort to bring orphaned and unaccompanied Haitian children to the United States under a humanitarian program that was implemented 50 years ago for Cuban children when the Communist government took over Cuba. The program is referred to as Pedro Pan (the Peter Pan Program.)
Once the program is reauthorized, it would allow thousands of Haitian children thought to be orphaned by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that ravaged their country earlier this week to come to the U.S. under humanitarian parole, an immigration status is rarely granted that would allow foreign nationals who are otherwise inadmissible, to come to the U.S. on a temporary basis due to a compelling emergency.
At this point, Haiti needs all the help it can get. The country has been unstable for many years due to political instability, corruption, and natural disasters, namely hurricanes. Now, in light of this devastating earthquake, the country could take as long as a generation to recover and any governmental or non-governmental program that could help these people should be authorized or in this case, reauthorized.
Related posts:
U.S. Places Hold on Deportations to Haiti, the Fight for TPS Continues
Earthquake in Haiti, “Would TPS be in the Midst?”