State Representative Gary A. Holder-Winfield (D-New Haven) and a group of lawyers who practice immigration law will discuss free law assistance clinics that are being offered around the state to Haitians during a press conference Monday at the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford.
Rep. Holder-Winfield said members of Connecticut Lawyers for Haiti will talk about the free assistance they are offering to undocumented Haitians who are living without legal status in the United States and who want to apply for a federally approved temporary protective status. The press conference will be at noon, Monday, Jan. 25, in Room 1C in the LOB.
“These attorneys are helping Haitians simply out of the goodness of their hearts,” Rep. Holder-Winfield said. “The act of doing work for the good of people is why I entered public service and I am very happy to play a small part in spreading the word of what these lawyers are doing for people in dire need.”
The Obama Administration has announced that undocumented Haitians living in the United States since before the Jan. 12 earthquake may apply for 18 months of temporary protective status. The status protects them from deportation and allows them to work and apply for driver’s licenses.
Calling the aftermath of the earthquake “a disaster of historic proportions,” the secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano, said she granted the designation for Haitian immigrants because their safety would be at risk if they were deported.
The Obama Administration’s decision followed widespread calls for the temporary status from about 100 Democratic and Republican representatives and senators across the country.
Rep. Holder-Winfield represents the 94th Assembly District, which includes New Haven. He is a member of the Appropriations, Human Services and Judiciary Committees.
