Immigrations: haitians lose out in congress Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Wed, 12 Nov 1997 08:13:19 -0800 (PST) tijan RADDI Congress has decided. The "Victims of Communism Relief Act" will become law, benefiting Nicaraguan and Cuban refugees primarily, while others from Central America will have to rely on the uncertain fortune of the old "suspension of Deportation" provision. Once again the Haitian community has been left behind, its basic right to fairness and equal treatment denied. Some of the blame rests with the Haitian advocacy groups, caught so to speak with their pants down at the crucial moment. Some of the blames rests also with the Preval administration which failed to speak up for Haitian refugees in the United States, even when some Central American governments showed the lead at the U.S., Caribbean and Central American summit of Costa Rica in May 1997. (President Rene Preval used all his time lobbying for a continued U.S. and multinational military presence in Haiti, while the presidents of Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador pressed Clinton to desist from the massive deportation of undocumented immigrants from their countries now in the United States.) But make no mistake, this is only a temporary setback. In such a perverse climate of anti-immigrant hysteria, no victory was possible with a flip of the wrist. All praise is due to the Miami Haitians who provided much needed and forceful leadership at this juncture (New York and Boston reacted late in the game and some petty turf wars got in the way of decisive action). All praise also to people on this list who reacted with little prompting to the need of the hour and wrote very original and timely letters to Messrs Gingrich and Lott. Some had already sent their own missives to Congress prior to RADDI's appeal but were kind enough to send us copies; some personalized various points made in our letter but by virtue of their citizenship and ability to vote gave them that much more urgency; others paid RADDI no mind but posted their letters to this list and we were glad to read them; still others wrote from the conviction of their faith and from their identification with the people of Haiti and how beautiful were their voices in the chorus! For me whose job it was to read those various postings, the collective effort was more important than the temporary setback. Please continue to share your ideas and initiatives with RADDI (Haitian Mobilization to Defend Immigrant Rights). We'll try again, soon! And now, back to the grassroots. Things need to go into higher gear. Haitians and our allies must march on Washington in the thousands, when Congress reconvenes early next year. Potentially, this could be another giant demonstration, if organizers from the major cities get involved early enough and if there is enough consensus. Together we can redress this moral outrage: amnesty for all refugees and victims of persecution! (Not only the "victims of communism" but also those of feudalism and imperialism!) Amnesty too, and the right to work, as a corollary to the 1996 immigration law, for all undocumented immigrants who established roots in this country prior to 1996. There is no existing program of mass deportation for "illegal aliens" from Russia, Canada or Italy. So why the constant raids against people with black and brown skin? It isn't just about refugees or undocumented Haitians. At issue here are the larger questions of human rights and racial discrimination. Daniel Simidor, Liaison ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytrc-11.15.97-02:48:45-14740