23948: Hermantin (Pub)Cuban migrants to be released; why are Haitians held at Krome? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Wed, Dec. 15, 2004



Cuban migrants to be released; why are Haitians held at Krome?


Amnesty International, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the National Coalition for
Haitian Rights and many others have raised a hue and cry about the two-year
detention and deportation of David Joseph, a noncriminal asylum-seeker from
Haiti, and the detention-related death of Rev. Joseph Dantica, 81. Dantica
arrived in Miami with a valid passport and visa, but was sent to Krome. He
became ill and died five days later.

Within weeks of these events, the Department of Homeland Security announced
that noncriminal Cuban boat arrivals no longer will be detained at Krome,
but rather will be released within hours of apprehension.

Are these decisions made to drive a wedge between the Cuban and Haitian
communities or to totally incense advocates for immigrant rights and civil
rights? Or is the immigration bureaucracy so dense that it is oblivious to
the impact of such an announcement?

BILL FRELICK, director, Refugee Program, Amnesty International, Washington,
D.C.