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U.S. Civil Rights Commission Agrees to Attend an Informal Briefing
on Discriminatory INS Policy of Detaining Haitian Asylum Seekers
June 14, 2002
MIAMI ? The United States Commission on Civil Rights has accepted an invitation from Miami civil and human rights organizations to hold an informal briefing on June 21 on the federal immigration policy of indefinitely detaining hundreds of Haitian asylum seekers in Miami detention facilities.
The Commission returns to Miami on June 20 to assess the extent of progress on voting reforms in Florida and has agreed to extend its stay an extra day to hear testimony from a broad coalition of individuals representing civil and human rights organizations such as Brothers to the Rescue (Hermanos Al Rescate), NAACP and the Haitian American Grassroots Coalition.
"We're not talking about criminals or terrorists," said Cheryl Little, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC). "These are men, women and children who came to this country seeking freedom and who instead are being locked up simply because of the color of their skin. We're hoping the Commission will make recommendations to end this inhumane policy and that the Haitians will be released to family and friends."
The informal briefing will begin at 10:30 a.m. June 21 at the Hyatt Regency Miami, 400 SE Second Avenue. Immediately following the briefing, Commissioners and staff members will tour the Turner Guilford Knight (TGK) Detention Facility, the maximum-security jail where Haitian women seeking asylum are incarcerated along with criminals.
The Commission agreed to attend the informal briefing after receiving an invitation from American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center requesting intervention on behalf of more than 200 Haitians who must work on their asylum petitions from behind bars, unlike refugees of other nationalities who are routinely released pending the resolutions of their asylum claims.
In March, FIAC and several other local immigration attorneys filed a federal lawsuit seeking the release of the refugees, many of whom are languishing behind bars even after having met the legal "credible fear" requirements to be released. The lawsuit also argues the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is in violation of the refugees' rights for due process and equal treatment.
"We are grateful that the U.S. Civil Rights Commission is willing to look at this immigration and civil rights crisis in Florida and help focus public attention on this racist policy that applies only to Haitian asylum seekers," said ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon. "I hope that this informal briefing will create sufficient public outrage to change the policy of the INS and the Bush administration so that Haitian asylum seekers will be treated like all others who come to this country seeking a better life."
For a copy of the acceptance letter, call: Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU-FL Communications Director, (305) 576-2337 ext. 16 (office) or 786-208-7203 (cell)
