Immigrant Advocates Call To Halt Haitian Deportations
MIAMI - (CBS4) - Congresswoman Frederica Wilson joined the ACLU Wednesday calling on Barack Obama to halt deportations of Haitians with criminal records who have completed their sentences.
The ACLU asked the Obama administration to exercise restraint because of the pressing humanitarian concerns amid the spread of the cholera epidemic.
"We ask President Obama to hold off on removing Haitian nationals from this country in light of the horrific conditions now facing our neighboring nation," said Howard Simon, ACLU of Florida Executive Director. "It is within his power to show leadership and prevent a civil liberties and human rights disaster."
Wilson added that continued deportations to Haiti would jeopardize lives and violate human rights and refugee laws.
"I am keenly aware of the devastation and the impact the present situation has on the constituents in my district and on their families in Haiti," Wilson said in a statement. "The trauma and heartbreak is tremendously catastrophic. My Congressional District includes the largest Haitian population in America, so I am faced with the misery and the suffering on a daily basis."
For now, CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald reported that Haitians with criminal convictions will continue to be repatriated.
``ICE is legally required to repatriate criminal aliens to their country of origin or release them into U.S. communities if their repatriation is not reasonably foreseeable,'' said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez told the newspaper. ``We have been coordinating with the Haitian government to ensure that the removals are conducted in a safe and humane manner."
CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed to this report.
