January 15, 2010, - 2:37 pm
The Disaster Spreads: Deportation of Haitian Illegal Aliens Halted ‘Til When?!
With much of Haiti in ruins after this week’s devastating 7.0 earthquake, I can understand why some U.S. lawmakers want to halt the deportation of Haitian illegal aliens in our midst. We’d look–and would be–heartless to deport 30,000 people back to the island dominated by destruction.
Haitian Aliens Trying to Sneak Into U.S.
That said, there must be strict limits, and sadly, the handwriting’s on the wall that ultimately there won’t be. There are many downtrodden, disaster-stricken countries around the world to which we deport illegal aliens on a regular basis. And for how long do we allow these illegal aliens–some of them in tax-funded shelters and detention centers–to remain on our soil. After six months, there should be enough rebuilding–with the inpouring of international help–that the deportations should resume.
But liberal American lawmakers want to halt Haitian deportation indefinitely. That’s a bad move and a slippery slope. As we all know, provisions like this which don’t have sunsets, simply never end. And we don’t need 30,000 people who knew better, but broke the law, stealing American jobs permanently. I agree with the Homeland Security position which is less committed to anything long-term. Frankly, it’s unfortunate that we grant this status to people from Somalia–which has led to a huge immigration wave of extremist Muslims Somalians and, as I’ve noted, an ever-expanding crime wave against Americans committed by Somalian Muslims across our nation.
Lawmakers and immigration groups are calling on the Obama administration to grant Haitians in the USA, including those here illegally, a special temporary legal status that would protect them from deportation and allow them to take jobs.
That would be a step beyond what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced: a halt in deportations “for the time being.” About 30,000 Haitians now in the USA had been ordered deported.
The DHS can grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to people from countries experiencing civil war, natural disaster or some other catastrophe.
Immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia and Sudan have the status.
“There is no way to safely return Haitian citizens to their country,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., wrote to President Obama on Wednesday after the Tuesday earthquake.
The temporary status “is in the range of considerations,” DHS spokesman Matt Chandler said.
Temporary Protected Status is granted for a specific period, such as 18 months, but it can be extended. Honduras’ and Nicaragua’s designations date to 1999 after Hurricane Mitch.
Uh, why are they still here, more than ten years later? Helloooo . . . ? This is what will happen with no sunset date for Haitians’ stay of deportation. We need to end all of these. As our friend, Dan Stein from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), notes:
“In some cases, such as TPS for citizens of El Salvador, the triggering event occurred nearly a decade ago,” he said, referring to earthquakes in 2001.
I think Dan and I can forget about these Haitian deportees ever going home. And if there is a sunset on their stay of deportation, you can bet they’ll file a discrimination lawsuit alleging racism or some other sort of ethnic bigotry, if they don’t get the same decade plus of welcome mat that the other groups get. Ten years is a long time to establish all kinds of excuses–and produce anchor babies–in order to stay here.
I see this whole thing as yet another immigration enforcement disaster.
Tags: 30000, Department of Homeland Security, deportation, deportees, DHS, earthquake, Haiti, Haitian deportees, Haitian illegal aliens, Haitian immigrants, Homeland Security, Illegal Aliens, immigration enforcement, Temporary Protected Status, TPS
I would agree. It is appropriate to halt such proceedings for a year or less, but no more. Those other cases represent nothing more than disquised legalization, and nothing more. Also, I would propose cutting or eliminating quotas for Somalia, Pakistan, and other Moslem countries to compensate. I would actually prefer helping Haitians than people from those other places.
sorrow01 on January 15, 2010 at 3:10 pm