U.S. Ambassador to Haiti meets with Congresswoman Wilson, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick and Haitian Community Leaders in Little Haiti

Miami, FL - Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) and Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick met the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, Dennis Hankins, in Little Haiti to discuss U.S.-Haitian Relations.

Joining Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormickincluded Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Board of County Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert, President of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, Prinston Jean Glaude,North Miami Mayor Alex Desulme, and North Miami Vice Mayor Mary Estimé-Irvin.

"Hati is no stranger to challenges," Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. "This is a uniquely difficult time, where collaboration with our partners in the U.S. is more important than ever."

Miami-Dade Board of County Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert said, "It's to be noted that Hati was a friend of the U.S., before we were even a country. Their history is inextricable from ours. We must always keep Hati at the forefront of our conversation because they were here for us when no one else was."

"The history of the US and Hati is strong, but it is had its shared challenges," President of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, Prinston Jean Glaude. "If I have to highlight one thing, that would be a stable Hati."

Congresswoman Wilson moderated the event and once the Ambassador finished delivering opening remarks on the current situation in Haiti and U.S.-Haitian efforts, she opened questions to other community leaders.

One of the questions included one from Father ReginaldJean-Mary. He asked "What can you see as the timing for the opening of the consulate so that people can have a fair process because it is very difficult for people to go to Barbados; there are many harsh conditions, and they have to cross the border, it is a very risky and costly process, and with that what do you think the timeline is for reopening the consulate?"

Ambassador Hawkins responded, "I'll be honest with my answer, and it is going to be awhile; the embassy is still at departure status. We are running at about 40 percent of our non-security personnel, and the limited consulate staff are focused on citizen services. As we move forward, our focus is going to be on the 30,000 outstanding immigrant visas. These are people who, because of direct family connections, there already have a presumed right to go to the United States, and that is a priority. The first priority is more staffing; if a security increase is enough, then Washington will allow us to go off-order departure. That will be the first priority. This is around a five-month delay, and from that, I think we are at least two years away before we can see nonimmigrant visas in an extended period because first, there will be a continued focus on American citizens."

The event was held the event in Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church, where Father Reginald Jean-Mary is the paster of.

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Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson is a seventh-term lawmaker from Florida, representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and lifelong educator, she founded the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring and dropout prevention program for boys and young men of color. Congresswoman Wilson is also the founder and chair of the U.S. Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys and the Florida Ports Caucus. This bipartisan task force coordinates federal action to support Florida's harbors and waterways and is a proud member of the Congressional HBCU Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus. The Florida lawmaker sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, Ranking Member of the Education and Labor Committee's Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee and serves on the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee.

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