23977: Hermantin(news) Haitian official visits detainees facing expulsion (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>


Haitian official visits detainees facing expulsion



By Alva James-Johnson
Staff Writer

December 24, 2004

The Consul General of Haiti visited Krome detention center Thursday to
spread a little Christmas cheer to about 100 detainees on the verge of
deportation.

"I feel sorry that they have to be in prison right now, because they're
leaving their families behind," said Pierre Osselyn, the country's consul
general in Miami since September. "It's Christmas, and we decided to pay a
visit so they know that somebody cares, even if we cannot do much for the
time being."

Osselyn was joined by Vice Consul Ralph Latortue, a cousin of Haiti's
interim prime minister, Gerard Latortue; Jean Colin, of the Haitian Health
Foundation of South Florida in Cooper City and a consultant to the
government, and two other staffers.

Despite an invitation from the diplomat to the media to attend the meeting,
Homeland Security officials refused to allow reporters and photographers to
enter the center during the four-hour visit.

The consular representatives said the detainees they visited Thursday were
all males, the youngest about 18. They said female detainees are being held
at detention centers in Broward and Monroe counties.

"They seemed to be in good condition and everything was clean," said
Latortue. "We even checked the food they were having."

Latortue said the men fit into two categories: undocumented immigrants,
dressed in blue, and criminals who were dressed in orange or red depending
on the severity of the crimes they committed.

Some in both groups have been in the United States for more than 20 years.

"They were skeptical at first, because they didn't know what we were doing
there," he said. "Some felt we were there to send them back, but as the
meeting progressed they became more relaxed."

Immigrant advocates say the U.S. government has aggressively targeted
Haitians in recent weeks and deported them to their country.

Osselyn said he's signed travel documents for about 12 deportees within the
last month, but doesn't know the total number of Haitians who were sent back
to Haiti.

The group said many detainees asked how long they would have to remain in
detention. Many of the undocumented wanted to stay in the United States, and
some of the criminals said they wanted to be sent back to Haiti.

Latortue said a rumor was floating around that both criminals and
non-criminals were being arrested when they returned to Haiti, and the group
assured them it was false.

He said a committee has been set up in Haiti to help re-integrate the
deportees into society -- even the criminals, since they already served
their time.

Colin said many of the detainees seemed depressed, and he hoped the visit
encouraged them.

"They are fellow Haitians just looking for opportunities, like some members
of my family," he said. "I identified with them because it could have been
me."

Alva James-Johnson can be reached at ajjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or
954-356-4523.


Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel