MIAMI – The community will celebrate a mass of thanksgiving commemorating Haitian Flag Day — on which Haitians affirm their solidarity, pride, and dignity in their heritage – and mourn Hallandale Beach victim Lifaite Lully and 60 Haitians who died tragically when their boat capsized May 4 off the Turks and Caicos.
The ceremony will be followed by the planting of two memorial trees on the grounds of the church on Friday, May 18 at 8 p.m., Notre Dame d’Haiti Catholic Church, 110 N.E. 62nd Street, Miami.
Injustice against Haitians continues: the continuing detention of the Hallandale Beach survivors, the unwarranted immediate repatriation of the Turks and Caicos survivors; the continued failure of the U.S. government to grant Haitians equal treatment by granting Temporary Protected Status.
Lifaite Lully, a competent swimmer, was so weakened by the ordeal of his 22 day boat voyage from Haiti – the last 10 of which were without food – that he succumbed trying to make it to shore at Hallandale Beach on March 28. British and Turks & Caicos authorities are pursuing investigations of the Turks & Caicos tragedy; but all the surviving Haitian witnesses have been repatriated.
Two weeks ago, DHS properly once again renewed Temporary Protected Status for 18 months for affected Hondurans, Nicaraguans, and Salvadorans due to Hurricane Mitch in 1998 & earthquakes in 2001. But despite more recent environmental catastrophes like Tropical Storm Jeanne in 2004 which qualify Haiti for TPS U.S. authorities continue to deny it to Haitians.
The 101 persons who survived Lifaite Lully remain detained, mostly at Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, despite the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami’s promise to provide housing and legal representation for all of them if they should be released. And the community continues to be devastated by deportations of long-resident hard-working non-criminals despite approved I-130s, U.S. citizen spouses, U.S. citizen children, having lived here for 7 to 14 years, and President Bush’s declaration that he favors a path for legalization which should cover them.
The community will mourn the victims, reiterate the need for justice and equal treatment, and call for solidarity and remembrance in commemorating Haitian Flag Day.
