We represent 55 American families who are in the process of adopting 70 children from Haiti. Of these families, 12 are Haitian-American families adopting their biological relatives (grandchildren, nieces, and nephews).

Haiti is currently facing the worst humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere, according to the United Nations. The U.N. Food Programme reports that half of the population is suffering from acute hunger, making this the most severe famine in the world today.

Despite receiving approvals from the Haitian government, the U.S. Department of State (DOS), USCIS, and the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, DOS has denied emergency humanitarian parole for our children. This is despite granting the same emergency parole to 14 adopted children in May 2024, when 39 children were evacuated from Haiti due to the escalating crisis.

OUR ASK
We urge the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to work with the Haitian government to immediately evacuate all children in the adoption process with American families. These children should be allowed to complete their adoptions in the U.S., as approved in writing by IBESR, Haiti's Central Authority. USCIS has previously documented this legal pathway, as it was done in May 2024, and DOS has the authority to do this again.

WHY IT'S URGENT

• Violent gangs control 85% of Port-au-Prince and have spread into other regions of Haiti.
• The ports are under gang control, blocking the delivery of food and supplies to the country.
• The FAA has banned commercial air traffic to Haiti after U.S. planes were struck by gang gunfire, and airlines have suspended flights to Haiti until February 2025, limiting access for humanitarian aid.
• Haitian government offices are closed, preventing the completion of necessary adoption steps in Haiti. However, these can be legally finalized in the U.S.
• Gangs are forcibly recruiting vulnerable children, using them as human shields with promises of food and shelter.
• Women and children are being trafficked and subjected to violence at alarming rates.

These children have been communicating with us for years, as required by Haitian law, and are beloved members of our families. We are deeply concerned for their safety and survival. Emergency humanitarian parole or another form of immigration relief is their only hope for survival.

Please help us urge the U.S. Department of State, Homeland Security, and our local representatives to act swiftly. Sign the petition!