STATEMENT BY HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JANET NAPOLITANO

DISASTER RESPONSE IN HAITI

“The Department of Homeland Security continues to extend sympathy for our Haitian neighbors and support the worldwide relief effort underway in every way we can. Four Coast Guard cutters have arrived in Haiti, in addition to a variety of Coast Guard assets that were already in the area to support military air traffic control, conduct damage assessments and rescue people in need of assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to work closely with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department—the lead U.S. federal agencies in the response—while coordinating the deployment of state and local Urban Search and Rescue Teams from across the country to Haiti and standing by to provide food, water and other resources as requested. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has provided aircraft to support response efforts. On Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement halted all removals to Haiti for the time being in response to the devastation caused by Tuesday’s earthquake. The entire Department stands ready to receive evacuees safely and securely in the United States.

“Monetary contributions from individual Americans are the best way to immediately support the relief efforts of those who are working around-the-clock to help save lives in Haiti—and will help sustain these efforts over the long-term. The rebuilding process for the people of Haiti will undoubtedly be extremely difficult. I encourage every American who is interested in giving to participate in this response effort by providing support to those in need. You can visit www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake to make your contribution.”