12155: Support Our Haitian Sisters: INS Detainees (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: radtimes <resist@best.com>

    Date: Tue, 21 May 2002 11:05:15 EDT
    From: spirithousedc@aol.com
Subject: ARTICLE:  Support Our Haitian Sisters: INS Detainees

The Immigration and Naturalization Service has held approximately 270 Haitian

immigrants in Miami, Florida for months.  Most of the immigrants arrived in
the United States in December of 2001.  While almost 200 males are being held

at Krome, female detainees were transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight
Correctional Center after allegations that male officers were sexually
abusing
them.  Of the seventy-five women, nearly thirty who have children are
currently being held at a local hotel.  For almost all of the women, the move

has resulted in a deterioration rather than improvement of their situation.

The Florida Immigration Advocacy Center reports that the women are denied
basic rights guaranteed by international conventions.  Haitian women at the
Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and hotel live under much more
restrictive rules than men at Krome, who have access to the latest
technologies in terms of recreational facilities and legal resources.  Most
importantly, these women have very limited or no access to legal
representation.  Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center has only one room

available for women to meet with their lawyers.  The same room operates as a
library and is used for religious activities such as prayer.  Lawyers have
reported that such poor quarters offer little privacy and make meetings with
clients difficult.  Additionally, the expedition of Haitian immigration
trials
makes legal representation extremely important, yet women are often kept
ignorant of their ability to access free legal representation.

While some progress has been made due to the intervention of such human
rights
advocates as the Florida Immigration Advocacy Center, Marleine Bastien and
Haitian Women of Miami (Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami), Congressman John Conyers,
Sister Jeanne OŽ Laughlin, and U.S. Representative Carrie Meeks, much work
remains to be done.  Women have complained that they are discriminated
against
at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.  They have reported being
insulted by officers and blamed for most problems.  New regulations benefit
only the minority of Haitians who entered the country by plane.  Other
Haitians remain in custody for an indeterminate period of time.
Asylum-seekers are required to prove that they cannot return to their native
land because they have a "credible fear of persecution."  Cheryl Little of
the
Florida Immigration Advocacy Center reports that all of the Haitian detainees

have or can meet this requirement.  Once asylum-seekers have met the "
credible
fear requirement," they are usually paroled and have greater access to legal
representation.

Unlike other nationalities, however, Haitians are being detained rather than
paroled.  In a Miami Times article, Max Rameau of Brothers of the Same Mind
complains, "Racial, ethnic, and religious bias is being used to discriminate
against people in fear of their lives . . . These efforts are not
coincidental
or incidental, but are part of a well planned and cruelly executed attempt to

keep Black Haitians from entering the United States.  This kind of
discrimination is wrong and morally indefensible."

Despite the United Nations standard of one hour a day of physical activity
with "Frequent Opportunities" for exercise out of doors or in the open air,
the recreation area at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center is actually

part of the housing unit and only allows for fresh air.  By contrast, male
detainees at Krome have greater access to large, outdoor facilities such as a

soccer field and sand volleyball court, among other things.  Clearly, the
facilities at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center do not meet even the

minimum international standards.  Most of the women have simply stopped
utilizing the recreational facilities to avoid the humiliation of the "pat
downs" they must undergo in order to use them.

In addition, women are subjected to other methods of degradation.  They are
insulted by officers and served spoiled or inedible foods.  While male
detainees may receive up to two contact visits per week, women are only
allowed one contact visit per month.  When they do receive visits, they must
be transported to Krome and undergo strip searches.  Communicating with
relatives and other visitors is made even more difficult by the uncomfortable

and overcrowded visitation areas.  The current infrastructure is simply not
equipped to accommodate the needs of the inmate population and detainees.
Crowded units, and inadequate legal and medical facilities contribute to the
difficulties of Haitian women detained in Miami.

Language problems have created and added to tensions between detainees and
officers.  The failure of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to
employ
more Creole-speaking officers means that women are forced to use signals and
gestures to communicate.  While guidelines and regulations handbooks may be
available in Creole, not all of the women speak it and many who do are not
aware of the existence of such material.

Marleine Bastien, President of Haitian Women of Miami, has received numerous
awards for her role as a voice for Haitian refugees.  She and her
organization
have been active in lobbying Congress for equality in the treatment of
Haitians and implementation of immigration laws.  Haitian Women of Miami has
been successful in empowering Haitian women by enabling them to start their
own businesses.  To contact Bastien or Haitian Women of Miami, please e-mail
fanmayisyen@juno.com. Please join SpiritHouse and advocates like Marleine
Bastien in this effort to alleviate the unnecessary suffering of female
Haitian asylum-seekers in Miami.  Female detainees in Miami are not
terrorists
or criminals!  At the very least, these women deserve to be treated as human
beings, with dignity and respect.

     - by Annah Sidigu, SpiritHouse summer intern

SpiritHouse is a non-profit organization located in Washington, DC and
dedicated to the elimination of social injustice through the arts, research,
action, reflection, dialogue, and education.  SpiritHouse is presently
working
with Marleine Bastien of Haitian Women of Miami to highlight the plight of
Haitian detainees.  We are also working on the U.S. Patriot Act.  Please
contact us at spirithousedc@aol.com.