MIAMI – As Haiti remains in a state of devastation and ruin, ICE will recommence its deportations to Haiti. When ICE stopped deportations in September 2008, the Haitian community believed that ICE gained a conscience.
It was hoped that US Immigration officials made its recommendation based on the horrific condition of the country. After hundreds were killed due to four major hurricanes and tropical storms in less than a month, over 600,000 houses lost or damaged and major bridges swept away by floodwaters; it made sense that deportations would be halted.
Restarting deportation right now, especially during the holiday season, does not demonstrate “peace and good will to all men”, which is the real message of Christmas.
ICE spokesperson Nicole Navas’s very brief announcement that “it is appropriate to resume based on the circumstances in Haiti,” is chilling! “If US officials are truly interested in the circumstances in Haiti, they would not dream of restarting deportations right now.
Haiti is far from recovered and in no condition to handle any flow of deportees,” Marleine Bastien, Executive Director of Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami/Haitian Women of Miami, Inc. (FANM), comments after a recent humanitarian trip to Haiti.
“US Immigration Officials need to do better than that. They should explain their actions which can only be described as arbitrary and ill-advised,” states Danna F. Magloire, Attorney Advisor for Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami. “The question that I would like officials to answer is: where are the deportees supposed to go, when one million of our Haitian brothers and sisters are still living in shelters themselves and famine reigns in several villages,” Danna F. Magloire continues.
Now more than ever, all communities in America should unite and demand answers from the government about their actions. We are asking for people to mobilize and call your Congresspersons, write letters to President Bush, and urge them to permanently stop deportations to Haiti and grant Haitians TPS.
