Sixteen years ago today, hundreds of thousands of Haitians were killed and more than a million displaced when a massive earthquake rocked the island nation.
This afternoon South Floridians will gather at Miami's Toussaint Louverture Memorial Statue to pay tribute to the victims.
A moment of silence will be held at 4:53 p.m., which is when the 7.0-magnitue quake hit.
With Temporary Protected Status for Haitians set to terminate on February 3rd, Family Action Network Movement's Paul Christian Namphy is also urging lawmakers to find a bi-partisan comprehensive solution so immigrants legally living and working here can stay.
He says, "It's not going to be about partisan politics at all. It is a moment of honoring and remembering those who died. It is a moment of protecting our communities. It is a moment of showing inclusion."
He adds, "This is a very, very, very dire situation. This is not a situation that anyone should be forcibly sent back to."