17079: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald-Protesters call for Haitian teen's release (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Thu, Oct. 30, 2003

IMMIGRATION
Protesters call for Haitian teen's release
A year after hundreds of Haitians arrived off Key Biscayne in a wooden boat,
protesters demand the release of a still-detained Haitian teen.
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
jcharles@herald.com




DEMONSTRATION: Tony Joseph, center, protests with hundreds of others outside
immigration headquarters. JOSHUA PREZANT/FOR THE HERALD


In a scene reminiscent of the day one year ago when scores of Haitian
migrants from a grounded boat ran across the Rickenbacker Causeway, hundreds
of Haitian protesters brought traffic in front of immigration headquarters
to a temporary standstill Wednesday as they waved signs and demanded liberty
for detainees.

The emotional demonstration came during a 5:30 p.m. prayer vigil held by
immigration activists to commemorate the boatload of 214 migrants who were
taken into custody by U.S. immigration officials on Oct. 29, 2002, after
their boat grounded near Key Biscayne.

Since then, 110 of the migrants have been deported to Haiti after losing
their asylum claims. Ten remain in U.S. detention, including Ernesto Joseph,
an orphaned teenager the United States seeks to deport to Haiti.

During the vigil, the 400 protesters held lit candles, sang, ''No, no, we
won't go. If we go, we will return. America is for us all,'' and renewed
their call for equitable treatment of Haitian refugees.

They also demanded Joseph's release. The teen, believed by advocates to be
16, was taken into custody and moved to a guarded motel room in West
Miami-Dade on Oct. 2. Immigration authorities have granted him a 30-day
reprieve from deportation while they review additional information about his
case. The U.S. government, which believes he is older than 16, is trying to
determine his true age.

The 30-day deadline ends on Saturday. An immigration spokesman in
Washington, D.C. could not say Wednesday what will happen to Joseph in the
next few days.

Said protester Joselene Verdeu of Miami: ``He's a child. He should be in
school.''

''Since the boat arrived we have seen Haitians going to asylum hearing that
last less than 45 minutes, and had immigration judges ruling over turned by
[U.S. Attorney John] Ashcroft. It's unfair,'' Marleine Bastien, a Haitian
community activist, said as the crowd chanted, ``Free Ernesto Now.''

Immigration attorney Cheryl Little, whose office is handling Joseph's case,
said advocates have yet to receive official word from the government about
what will happen Saturday. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek earlier this week wrote
letters to officials in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security asking for
an extension of the deadline.

''Ernesto is in legal limbo and the clock's ticking,'' said Little,
executive director of the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. ``In the
meantime Ernesto is alone in the hotel room believing any day now he's going
to be deported to Haiti . . . he's terrified.''

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