[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
29815: Hermantin(News)Haitians hope new leadership means immigration reform (fwd)
From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>
Haitians hope new leadership means immigration reform
New leadership in Washington and Tallahassee is convincing Haitians that the
climate is favorable for immigration reforms.
BY TANIA VALDEMORO
tvaldemoro@MiamiHerald.com
Haitians gathered Friday at Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church to pray for a
change in federal immigration policies after new political leaders --
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and a Democratically controlled Congress --
assumed power.
''People in my church are being deported and leaving families behind. Those
without legal status cannot work or provide for their family, and they can't
send their children to school. We need justice,'' said the Rev. Reginald
Jean-Mary, Notre Dame's administrator.
The morning prayer service attracted at least 800 people, some of whom held
copies of deportation orders.
Sponsored by Haitian Women of Miami, the Florida Immigrant Coalition and the
Haitian American Grassroots Coalition, it was the first in a series of events
this weekend as the Archdiocese of Miami celebrates National Migration Week and
Roman Catholics mark the feast of the Epiphany, when, according to the Bible,
the three wise men traveled from the East to pay homage to the infant Jesus.
MASS PLANNED
On Sunday, Miami Archbishop John Clement Favalora will say a Mass at St. Mary's
Cathedral to celebrate diversity among Catholics.
Immigration advocates say they sense that recent political change may help push
through temporary protected status for Haitians. If the federal designation
were granted, Haitians, whose homeland has been roiled by political upheaval
and natural disasters like Hurricane Jeanne, could live and work in the United
States for a temporary period.
''Crist can make an immense difference. We want him to tell President Bush to
grant Haitians temporary protected status as a way of protecting Florida's
borders and its children,'' said Steven Forester, senior policy advocate of
Haitian Women of Miami.
Crist's spokeswoman, Erin Isaac, did not return calls for comment.
In 2004, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on
Migration decided to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority. The
Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform backs permanent residency for the
undocumented, stronger family reunification policies and legal paths allowing
migrants to come and work, among other changes.
But the comprehensive immigration reform favored by Catholic church leaders and
others faces tough hurdles. The issue stalled last year when the U.S. Senate
and House could not agree on what to do about the nation's 12 million
undocumented immigrants.
DIVIDED VISIONS
The Senate-approved bill would have given millions of undocumented immigrants
legal status and created a guest-worker program. The House-passed bill
supported building a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border and focused on
enforcement.
MORE HURDLES
Complicating the political equation this year: Some newly elected House
Democrats campaigned against legalizing undocumented immigrants. House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi of California did not include immigration reform on her priority
list for her first 100 hours as leader, although her counterpart, Senate
Majority Leader Henry Reid of Nevada, said Thursday it would be among Senate
Democrats' top 10 bills this year.
For Haitians, immigration reform is not only a wise domestic policy but a smart
U.S. investment in stability for Haiti. With each person deported, Forester
said, several family members and friends in Haiti lose financial help. Haitian
economist Pierre-Marie Boisson told The Miami Herald last year that the
country's economic growth is not being generated by private investments but
mainly by the $1 billion in remittances Haitians living abroad sent back last
year to relatives.
_________________________________________________________________
The MSN Entertainment Guide to Golden Globes is here. Get all the scoop.
http://tv.msn.com/tv/globes2007/?icid=nctagline2