Hundreds of Haitians attempt the perilous 700-mile (1,100-kilometer) journey to the Florida coast each year, some in rafts, others smuggled by traffickers.

US officials estimate that thousands of Haitians have died at sea in failed bids to flee the poverty, unrest and natural disasters that have beset their homeland, the poorest country in the Americas, for decades.

Last July a wooden sail boat carrying up to 200 illegal migrants capsized off the Turks and Caicos Islands. Only 118 were safely recovered.

"For this serious situation, there is an increased risk of a crisis of immigrants from Haiti," said US Coast Guard spokeswoman Marilyn Fajardo in Miami.

She told AFP that the possibility of a large influx of Haitian migrants into the United States was "the subject of ongoing analysis," but that the Coast Guard has not yet taken any extraordinary measures.

"So far we have not seen evidence that this will happen; we have not recorded any event in the area," added Fajardo.

Tuesday's powerful 7.0-magnitude quake has left tens of thousands of people dead and international aid agencies estimate that three million people were affected.

Haitians who lost their homes and their belongings but were lucky enough to be alive walked aimlessly through the streets, at times chanting and singing hymns.

Despite the desperation of so many of his people, Haiti's consul general in Miami Ralph Latortue said he did not anticipate an immigration crisis at this time.

"Attempts at illegal immigration from Haiti usually come from the north and northwest of the island, not from the Port-au-Prince region, which is currently stricken," he said.

"I don't anticipate any more illegal immigration than usual."

Some 76,000 illegal immigrants from Haiti live in the United States and a further 535,000 legally reside here, two-thirds of them adults of a working age, according to the non-profit Migration Policy Institute.

Most live in Florida or New York.

In the wake of the disaster, people in tight-knit Haitian communities across Florida gathered around radios and computers eager to hear the latest about the plight of their loved ones, after telephone lines to the impoverished Caribbean nation went dead.

US authorities are processing deportation orders for 30,000 Haitians now in the United States, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Rights advocates have long depicted the current immigration laws as uneven. They have joined lawmakers in urging the White House to grant a special shield to thousands of Haitians living in the United States illegally, given the massive destruction in their homeland.

Temporary Protected Status would allow undocumented Haitians living in the United States to remain for a set period of time -- usually 18 months. That would allow them to renew or obtain drivers licenses, and work legally.

The Coast Guard is participating in the US government's humanitarian assistance and disaster response to Haiti, off-loading relief supplies and sending support personnel ashore.

Four Coast Guard cutters, five helicopters and nine aircraft are responding to the affected area. A fifth cutter is on its way.

The service branch has also evacuated nearly 250 US citizens from the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo, in the neighboring Dominican Republic.

"Currently, we are focused on giving humanitarian assistance and support to local and international agencies, and we hope to open the ports in Haiti as soon as possible," Fajardo said.

Shield urged for thousands of Haitian immigrants in US
Miami, Florida (AFP) Jan 15, 2010 - Rights advocates and lawmakers called on the White House Friday to grant a special shield to thousands of Haitians living in the United States illegally after a huge quake hit their homeland.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, would allow undocumented Haitians living in the United States to remain for a set period of time -- usually 18 months. That would allow them to renew or obtain drivers licenses, and work legally.

Supporters of such a move argue that TPS would also help Haiti to rebuild, as immigrants send remittances to loved ones in the poorest country in the Americas, devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday.

"Today we are asking President (Barack) Obama not to think anymore. Give them TPS. This cannot wait," said Marleine Bastien, a founder of the Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition in Miami.

She said undocumented Haitians in the United States were suffering a double plight. Eligible for deportation, some must watch the tragedy unfold from detention centers or with electronic monitoring devices around their ankles.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorities are processing deportation orders for 30,000 Haitians now in the United States.

"Can you imagine the anguish of these people right now?" she said.

The non-profit Migration Policy Institute however said 76,000 illegal immigrants from Haiti live in the United States, with a further 535,000 legally residing here, two thirds of them being adults of a working age.

Rights advocates have long depicted the current immigration laws as uneven, while even proponents of strict curbs on immigration said TPS was appropriate for Haiti now.

Some Central Americans enjoy the immigration shield, while Haitians do not.

"This is why TPS exists," said Dustin Carnevale, a spokesman for the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform referring to the quake's aftermath. The protection is meant as relief for immigrants from countries reeling from natural disaster or political strife.

"If this isn't a case for TPS, then what is?"

Carnevale said though that TPS had been "abused" in the past with continued extensions. Immigrants from Honduras and Nicaragua have enjoyed the shield since Hurricane Mitch, which occurred in 1997.

Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek, who represents a Miami district where many Haitians live, reiterated his support for TPS, but said it was not the most urgent issue.

"Just to be clear: The US government halted the deportation of non-criminal Haitians living in the US nearly a year ago and is not currently deporting illegal Haitian immigrants in the aftermath of this week's earthquake.

"I have always pushed for TPS for Haitians in the US, but right now my concern is for those whose lives hang in the balance."

The temporary status "is in the range of considerations," said Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matt Chandler.

Haitian Consul General in Miami Ralph Latortue said Thursday he was aware of US federal government movement on the issue but was not aware of any decision having been made.

The Migration Policy Institute also estimated that one in every 20 Haitians lived in the United States, more than 70 percent of them in New York or Florida.

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