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April 18, 2009

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President Obama to discuss immigration reform in 2009

The Haitian Consortium and affiliates applaud decision

The Haitian Consortium applauds the White House for upcoming conversations on comprehensive federal immigration reform that could affect some 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

President Barack Obama said this week that his administration would begin discussions on immigration reform later this year. Published reports indicate that the administration would collaborate with a bipartisan, diverse group of experts to help build the framework for legislation.

We believe that immigration is a human rights issue that needs serious attention,” and we are thanking President Obama for putting immigration reform on his agenda for 2009. The Haitian Consortium and its affiliates are ready to assist the president in immigration reform work because it “would truly serve the common good.”

While he congratulates President Obama for turning his attention to another difficult, if not hot, political issue so early in his administration, economist Parnell Duverger, Chairman of the Louverture Center for Freedom & Development, a South-Florida based Haitian-American research and service organization, remarks that the U.S. president has the opportunity to insist on the strict respect of the human and civil rights of illegal immigrants.  Furthermore, says Mr. Duverger, “a path must be created that leads to citizenship for people who have demonstrated that they are hard working, law abiding and eager to pursue the America dream.”  Mr. Duverger believes that the vast majority of illegal immigrants can safely be taken out of the shadows and into the mainstream of America society.

 Phoenix Bishop Minerva Carcaño, chair of the United Methodist task force on immigration, said the church stands firmly in believing that the inherent value of all immigrants means that all of their civil liberties should be respected and maintained regardless of their legal status. “We believe, however, that our present immigration policies violate these basic rights,” she emphasized.

Thérèse Guilloteau, President of League to Empower Women (Lig Pouvwa Fanm) takes this opportunity to congratulate President Obama for his initiative action. Such Initiative will benefit undocumented Haitian immigrants in the United States. The League to empower women is confident that this new administration will put an end to the plight of the thousands of Haitians who fled their country in search of a brighter future.

White House Objectives

The Obama administration wants to preserve the integrity of the country’s borders and support additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at ports of entry, according a White House website. It wants to fix the immigration system by removing incentives to enter the United States illegally, to bring people out of the shadows and to work with Mexico to cut down on illegal immigration.

 The administration asserts that the number of undocumented immigrants in the country has increased more than 40% since 2000, and annually more than a half-million people enter the United States illegally or overstay their visas. In addition, recent federal raids “only netted 3,600 arrests in 2006 and have placed all the burdens of a broken system onto immigrant families,” according to the White House.

We appreciate the president’s statement. While the president has not given any particulars, “the fact that he is talking about it is extremely helpful and very appreciated.”

 The Haitian Consortium Points

 We are encouraging the administration to embrace comprehensive immigration reform that will:

• Provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrants.

• Reunify immigrant families that have been separated by immigration itself or due to workplace raids and detentions and deportations.

• Increase the number of visas for short-term workers to enter the United States to work in a safe, legal and orderly way.

• Extend legal protection to all workers who come to stay for a certain period of time as well as for those who stay permanently, including the right to bargain for higher wages, to protest against poor working conditions, and to preserve their human rights as workers, be they documented or undocumented.

• Eliminate privately operated detention centers, which are not regulated by the federal or state governments.

• End all indiscriminate raids.

Special Note:

 The suffering of immigrants because of raids, indefinite detention and detention without federally regulated standards is why the Haitian Consortium and many churches stand in solidarity with them. “The suffering that immigrants have been going through has been immense. it is our responsibility, it is our calling, it is our mission, to stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters and advocate for justice on their behalf.”

 Where immigration reform should focus today,

• End to raids,
• Give a pathway to citizenship.
• Protect of the rights of workers.
• Support the reunification of families,
• The above mentioned "focus" should be applied to all undocumented workers, not just some.”

Enock Gustave, Chairman

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