Haitian Deportation Relief Act

Haitian Deportation Relief Act

This bill defers the removal of any national of Haiti who is physically present in the United States on the date of the bill's enactment. The deferral period shall last until the later of (1) the end of the emergency period in the United States stemming from the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak; or (2) the end of the COVID-19 emergency in Haiti, if such removals will not overwhelm Haiti's public health infrastructure.

The Department of Homeland Security shall prioritize alternatives to detention for an alien whose removal is deferred under this bill, unless the alien poses a significant public safety risk.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6798 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6798

 To defer removal of nationals of Haiti during the COVID-19 emergency 
                    period, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2020

 Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. 
 Engel, Mr. Sires, Ms. Bass, Ms. Castor of Florida, Ms. Clarke of New 
  York, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Levin of 
Michigan, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Payne, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Soto, 
 Ms. Pressley, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Norton, Ms. Velazquez, and Ms. 
Wasserman Schultz) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To defer removal of nationals of Haiti during the COVID-19 emergency 
                    period, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Haitian Deportation Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFERRAL OF REMOVAL TO HAITI.

    (a) In General.--An alien may not be removed during the period 
described in subsection (b) if the alien--
            (1) is a national of Haiti;
            (2) has been ordered removed at any time before, on, or 
        after the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (3) is physically present in the United States on such date 
        of enactment.
    (b) Period.--The period described in this subsection shall begin on 
the date of enactment of this Act and end on the date that is the later 
of--
            (1) the date on which the emergency period described in 
        section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1320b-5(g)(1)(B)) expires; or
            (2) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
        in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services, submits to Congress a written 
        report assessing the spread of COVID-19 in Haiti and certifying 
        that--
                    (A) the emergency in Haiti with respect to COVID-19 
                has ended;
                    (B) there is not a risk of community transmission 
                of COVID-19 in Haiti; and
                    (C) Haiti's public health infrastructure is not at 
                risk of being overburdened by patients suspected of 
                having contracted COVID-19.
    (c) Alternatives to Detention Program.--The Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall prioritize for alternatives to detention an alien whose 
removal is deferred pursuant to this Act, unless the Secretary 
determines that such alien would pose a significant risk to public 
safety if released into the interior.
    (d) COVID-19 Defined.--In this Act, the term ``COVID-19'' means 
Coronavirus Disease 2019.
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