Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney called President Donald Trump a “bully” and a “punk” over the Trump administration’s announcement it would cancel the temporary protected status of Haitians living and working in the U.S. on a temporary residence program created after a catastrophic earthquake rocked the Caribbean nation in 2010.
“Our President is a bully, our President is a punk, and he just doesn’t get it,” said Kenney, according to Mediaite.
“I don’t know where he was raised,” he continued, “but his family didn’t do a good job raising that guy.”
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke gave Haitians living with TPS until July 22, 2019, to either leave the country or apply for a different legal immigration category.
"Since the 2010 earthquake, the number of displaced people in Haiti has decreased by 97 percent," said a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. "Significant steps have been taken to improve the stability and quality of life for Haitian citizens, and Haiti is able to safely receive traditional levels of returned citizens. Haiti has also demonstrated a commitment to adequately prepare for when the country's TPS designation is terminated."
Haitians are the third nationality to lose protected status under the Trump administration. Nicaraguans and Sudanese will lose protection in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
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