Haitian Deportees Fate Now In The Hands Of Team Obama

CaribWorldNews, WASHINGTON, D.C., Weds. Mar. 11, 2009:

Will they be deported or will they win a reprieve?

That answer and the future of over 30,000 Haitians now lie in the hands

of President Obama’s political staff, CWNN has learnt.

An email obtained by CWNN Tuesday indicates that while Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, seems open to the idea of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, she is adamant that the issue will have to go through a review with President Obama’s political staff.

However, she reportedly insisted that the issue now has been elevated to the highest levels of the Obama administration.

She also apparently was resolute that a real review of immigration policies towards Haitians would be taking place quickly and a proper announcement will be made soon, whether TPS is granted or not.

In the meantime, non-criminal deportations of Haitians would continue to be suspended, according to the email correspondence obtained. This is a huge move away from the last eight years of fighting with the administration to simply know when deportations were going to resume, the email sent from Congressman Meek`s office said.

Napolitano also reportedly indicated that she wants to work with Congress towards a sensible solution on the issue. The protected status would allow undocumented Haitians already in the country to stay and work legally.

Her disclosure came following a meeting with several South Florida congressmembers Tuesday, as was reported by CWNN yesterday.

Leading the delegation was Florida Congressman, Kendrick Meek, who made the case for not only TPS but a formal indefinite halt on deportations pending a full and thorough review of the immigration policies towards Haitians.

At the meeting, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings, (D-Miramar), who was also in attendance, hand-delivered a letter to Secretary Napolitano requesting TPS be granted for Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States.

The letter was authored by Hastings and signed by sixteen bipartisan Members of Congress to include,

Representatives Kendrick B. Meek, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Robert Wexler,

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Maxine Waters, Barney Frank, Corrine Brown, Donna Edwards, Michael E. McMahon, Edolphus Towns, William D. Delahunt, Bob Filner, Joseph Crowley, Raul M. Grijalva, Jose E. Serrano, and Barbara Lee.

Missing from the signatories was Caribbean Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, whose district is also home to a large number of Haitians. Clarke told CWNN last night that she only just heard of the letter and today found out that it was sent to an email of a staffer who is no longer with her office.

But she said she agrees completely with the position of her colleagues and insists TPS should be granted given the back-to-back storms that has devastated Haiti.
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It stands to reason that we should appeal to the Obama administration now that they are settled for continued support of TPS and I am one hundred percent on board,` said Congresswoman Clarke.

There was such disruption in the country when I visited after the floods last year. It would be inhumane to continue on a path of deportation of Haitians in the U.S.` –

By CWNN Staffwriter