3#3389: Sharpton criticizes Haitian disparity (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From:nozier@tradewind.net

Sharpton criticizes Haitian disparity 
 Wednesday, April 26, 2000 The Associated Press

 NEW YORK -- They do not make the evening news or grab politicians'
attention as Elian Gonzalez has, but thousands of Haitian children are
separated from their families because of U.S. immigration policies that
deny them advantages given to Cubans, the Rev. Al Sharpton said   
Tuesday. "Though I salute the Justice Department for reuniting Elian
Gonzalez with his father, there are at least 3,000 Haitian Elians that
the Justice  Department and the federal government need to look at,"
Sharpton  said. "We cannot have elective compassion for people that come
here  for political asylum."Sharpton said the Elian uproar highlights
the disparity in treatment of immigrants from Cuba and Haiti. Although
federal law allows Cubans who reach the United States to stay, Haitians
and others who arrive illegally are generally sent back unless they can
prove a "credible fear" of persecution in their homeland. Sharpton, who
held a news conference earlier Tuesday with  representatives of the
Haitian-American Alliance, said that about 3,000 Haitian families with
members in New York have been separated because of immigration laws.I
think America is clearly more anti-Castro than they are
anti-dictatorship and tyranny," he said.