13527: Caze: RE: Press Release: Miami Press Conference about the fate of the 2 30 H aitian refugees -- note for you -- attachments (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Martine Caze <MCaze@nchr.org>


Press Release
____________________________________________________________________________
______________
For Immediate Release
For More Information, Contact:
November 1, 2002
Gepsie Metellus (305) 573-4871

Sant La (Haitian Neighborhood Center)

Miami Press Conference to Express concern about the fate of the 230 Haitian
refugees who arrived on Tuesday, October 29th 2002
Miami Florida, November.1, 2002 - The Haitian American Grassroots Coalition,
Sant La, the National Coalition for Haitian Rights and the Florida
Immigration Advocacy Center - in collaboration with a number of human
rights, refugee rights, elected and community leaders- invites you to a
press conference to request that President Bush order the release of the 230
Haitian refugees who arrived off the shores of Miami, on Tuesday, October
29, 2002.


Coalition members, which includes elected Haitian-American officials,
broad-based support from Miami-Dade County's diverse business, legal,
elected, faith-based, and grassroots leaders plan to make their appeal to
Washington at 3 p.m., Friday Nov. 1, 2002, at the Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Community Center, 8335 Northeast Second Ave  in Miami.


Please support our efforts in urging the Bush Administration to issue an
order to release the Haitian detainees immediately from the Krome Detention
Center, where they are currently being held, into the hands of family
members and community-based organizations.


The current immigration  laws  allow  all  refugees who enter the country
illegally to be released  into  the community once they have established a
credible fear of persecution, but  a contradictory and discriminatory policy
has been implemented  for Haitian refugees,  forcing them to remain in
detention while their asylum claims are being processed. The Bush
Administration  should  immediately reverse such a discriminatory policy
towards Haitian refugees and  adhere to  our country's own law on the
treatment of refugees.



Martine Caze
Office Administrator
The National Coalition for Haitian Rights
275 Seventh Avenue, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10001
(212) 337-0005 Ext:10
(212) 741-8749 Fax