13418: Hermantin: Sun-Sentinel Editorial:Treat Haitians like others (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board



Treat Haitians Like Others


No nation can allow its immigration laws to be flouted. When people enter
the United States illegally, and are unable to present a reasonable claim
for political asylum, they should be returned to their homeland.

If they enter with the assistance of smugglers, then these traffickers in
human cargo should be pursued by law enforcement authorities and vigorously
prosecuted.

U.S. immigration law, however, is not being applied uniformly. If refugees
from Asia, South America and most of the Caribbean can convince asylum
officers they face persecution if returned home, they are usually released
to friends or sponsors while going through the process of formally applying
for asylum and having their cases heard.

That's not the case with Haitians. The Immigration and Naturalization
Service is now holding Haitian asylum seekers in detention. The policy
change came after the U.S. Coast Guard last December picked up 187 refugees
from a boat off Elliott Key.

The inherent unfairness of the policy again became apparent with the arrival
Tuesday at Virginia Key of a boatload of more than 200 refugees, all but a
handful Haitians.

U.S. Sen. Bob Graham of Florida has renewed his call for a change in policy
so that Haitians are treated the same as others. The issue has even become a
part of the gubernatorial campaign, with protesters demanding Gov. Jeb Bush
intervene with his brother the president to get the policy changed.

Both Republican Gov. Bush and his chief opponent, Democrat Bill McBride, say
they support a reversal in INS policy so Haitians are treated the same as
Chinese, Guatemalans, Colombians, Dominicans, Cambodians and others.

Cubans, covered by a separate law, are generally allowed to stay in this
country if they make it to U.S. shores.

Haiti ostensibly is a democracy, but the freedoms known in Haiti are a far
cry from those enjoyed in the United States. The Caribbean nation has a long
history of political repression, and while most of the refugees no doubt are
fleeing for economic reasons, political persecution is still a fact of life
in Haiti.

The Haitians don't deserve special treatment. Nor do they deserve to be
singled out for harsher treatment than people of other nationalities.

The United States must protect its borders, and it needs to commit more
resources to the Coast Guard and INS in order to more effectively do so.
This is especially the case after 9/11.

The Haitians who arrived Tuesday, however, don't represent a terrorist
threat. INS policy needs to put them on a par with others.
Copyright © 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel









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