WASHINGTON (January 12, 2017) – In response to yesterday’s media reports that the U.S. president disparaged Haiti, El Salvador and Africa while attacking related immigration protections, CARE calls on America’s leaders and citizens to reaffirm our nation’s long-standing humanitarian principles and solidarity with people seeking a dignified life free of violence and full of opportunity in the United States and around the world. This message is particularly important today, the 8th anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, a day on which we should celebrate the resilience and courage of Haitians who continue to focus on rebuilding their country.
“President Trump’s alleged comments are a fundamental betrayal of true American greatness — the belief in every individual’s equal worth and dignity,” said Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of CARE. “We don’t hate. We care.”
Additionally, this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it would be ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan. The agency will also soon decide whether to extend TPS for five other nations, including Syria, Nepal, Honduras, Yemen and Somalia. CARE is on the ground in many of these countries, working to respond to the unprecedented humanitarian need and displacement, and is deeply concerned for the safety and security of those whose protections have been revoked. This announcement, coupled with the alleged comments from the president, jeopardize our U.S. leadership role in the world and the critical diplomatic and economic relationships we have built over time with these countries.
At CARE, our vision is to “seek a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security.” We were founded on the principle that the world and America are better and stronger when we respect and lift up people from all corners of the globe. CARE will continue to advocate for America’s historic leadership as a humanitarian nation that has led by example and benefitted as a result.
ABOUT CARE
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Last year, CARE worked in 94 countries and reached more than 80 million people around the world. To learn more, please visit www.care.org.
ABOUT CARE HAITI
For more than 50 years, CARE has been actively fighting against poverty in Haiti and defending the human dignity of disadvantaged families. At the same time, we have assisted those affected by the natural disasters that have visited Haiti through the years including the 2010 earthquake and more recently last year’s Hurricane Matthew. CARE partners with families, communities and local governments to support sustainable development and improve the quality of life. In the departments of the Artibonite, North West, South and Grand Anse, CARE partners with families, communities and local governments to support sustainable development and improve the quality of life. CARE also invests in programs of economic and food security targeting women and youth, water and sanitation, basic education, sexual and reproductive health, inclusive and accountable governance, and building more disaster resilient communities.
Media Contact
Nicole Ellis, +1-202-560-1791, nicole.ellis@care.org