Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Deportations to Haiti Resume

In light of the earthquake in Japan, this post revisits another earthquake ravaged nation and its ongoing relationship to U.S. Immigration Policy.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Haiti was struck by a catastrophic quake on January 12, 2010.  In the days after the disaster, the U.S. Government announced it was halting deportations to the country. In January of 2011, the U.S. Government resumed deportations to Haiti.  DHS plans to deport some 700 persons back to the country this year.

Immigration advocates and those facing deportation to Haiti have pleaded for a halt to the deportations, citing “inhumane conditions” in Haiti.  A cholera epidemic reportedly has killed more than 4,000 people since October. One of the 26 detainees sent to Haiti in the first wave of the resumed deportations was Wildrick Guerrier.  Upon his return, he suffered choleralike symptoms and later died.  Before being deported, he had participated in a hunger strike and stated that deportation to Haiti amounted to a death sentence.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is currently seeking feedback on its resumed deportation policy.  The new draft policy was posted on March 7, 2011.  The document, which is the first written policy issued regarding the resumption of deportations to Haiti, comes three months after DHS announced its plan to resume deportations and more than six weeks after deportations actually began.

Read an article regrading the deportations here.
Read an article regarding the earthquake here.
Read the draft policy here.


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