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Update on the Departure of Orphans from Haiti as beneficiaries of Humanitarian Parole

February 22, 2010

From U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services and U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

Dear Adoption Service Providers:

This message is being sent to you to notify you of a previous correspondence USCIS had with prospective adoptive parents of Haitian orphans who are beneficiaries of the Department of Homeland Security’s special humanitarian parole program. The message follows below.

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As many of you are aware, commercial travel between Haiti and the United States resumed on Friday February 19, 2010. At the same time U.S. military flights ended. There had been some promise that one last military flight would be able to transport orphans on Friday, February 19, 2010, however, ultimately this was not possible. On Saturday, February 20, 2010 a private charter was scheduled to pick up a group of children, but unfortunately we learned late in the day that the flight was cancelled. We regret the inconvenience and disappointment this has caused for anxious families.

With the resumption of commercial air, Haitian authorities have also resumed screening at the airport and are carefully examining all documentation for minors leaving Haiti to prevent trafficking in children. As some of you may be aware, six children who had been approved to enter the U.S. under the special humanitarian parole program and been approved to depart Haiti by the Prime Minister were prevented from boarding a private flight organized by their orphanage on Saturday February 20, 2010. The parents of these children have all been made aware of this situation.

Unfortunately, these additional screening procedures have resulted in a travel delay for all children, including children who have previously been approved to travel by the Government of Haiti but who have not yet travelled. The U.S. Embassy is working closely with the Haitian authorities at the highest levels to get clarification on when they expect orphan children who are documented with humanitarian parole letters to be able to board commercial or private flights to Miami.

Parents are strongly encouraged to wait until they receive notification from the U.S. Government that their child(ren) is ready to travel before finalizing travel arrangements.
We understand that many adoptive parents may be anxious to travel to Haiti to bring their children home. USCIS continues to encourage adoptive parents to review the Department of State travel advisory at http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_4632.html before making a decision to travel to Haiti.

We recognize that some of you receiving this email may have children who have already traveled to the U.S. This may have occurred because we have not necessarily received confirmation of all the children who have arrived, particularly in the early days of the program. If that is the case, please reply to this email with a note stating on what date your child entered the U.S. and at which airport.

Thank you,

Haitian Adoptions Team
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services
U.S. Department of Homeland Security