Press Releases

Today marks the third anniversary of the Dominican Constitutional Court’s decision to strip the hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of foreign descent of their citizenship, the majority of whom are of Haitian descent. They are also being denied the legal rights and protections to which they were previously entitled. The court’s decision has created a devastating human rights crisis and an unprecedented level of statelessness. It is particularly devastating for children who can no longer attend school or seek medical care.

According to a report from the International Organization for Migration, more than 100,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent have been forced to return to Haiti. In addition to not speaking the language or having any familial connections to Haiti, they are living in deplorable conditions. Those who have not yet been deported or forced to flee from the Dominican Republic live each day in fear that their time will soon come.

As the proud congressional representative of one of the largest Haitian populations in the United States, I am committed to doing whatever I can to help mitigate the court’s ruling, which is causing significant harm and simultaneously affects generations of Dominicans of Haitian descent. That includes calling on my congressional colleagues to join me in a letter urging President Obama to address this growing crisis and working with advocates.