Deadline nears for Haitians' deportation reprieve

By JENNIFER KAY Associated Press Writer

MIAMI (AP) - More than 50,000 Haitians have applied to legally stay and work in the U.S. so they can send money back to their earthquake-stricken homeland.

Immigration advocates are urging others not to miss their chance. The deadline to apply for temporary protected status is July 20.

Only Haitians who were already living in the U.S. illegally when the earthquake struck Jan. 12 are eligible.

Temporary protected status allows immigrants from countries experiencing armed conflict or environmental disasters to stay and work in the U.S. for 18 months.

U.S. immigration officials initially said they expected about 100,000 to 200,000 applications. The government now says that's the number of applications they can handle. They actually expect about 70,000 applications by mid-July.