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CNN Live At Daybreak
An Immigration Nightmare
Aired October 30, 2002 - 05:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to an immigration nightmare. More than 200 Haitians who made it to shore in Miami are beginning their first full day on U.S. soil. The question is whether they'll be allowed to stay. Many say U.S. policy on this issue reeks of discrimination.
We get details from reporter Samantha Marshall of CNN Miami affiliate WFOR.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The people are hungry. They are dying. The political situation is unstable.
SAMANTHA MARSHALL, WFOR CORRESPONDENT: The very spot were dozens of Haitian migrants jumped to safety seeking freedom in the United States is now the stage for politicians and Haitian advocate groups fighting for equal treatment.
CARLINE PAUL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HAITIAN-AMERICAN YOUTH: Only Haitians today in America are held indefinitely, even after proving credible fear of persecution. Any other group of refugees who come here and can prove, can pass that threshold are released.
MARSHALL: Advocates charge that INS routinely discriminates against Haitians by not allowing them the same treatment as other migrants, mainly Cubans, fueling frustrations, the wet foot, dry foot policy, a law that states once a Cuban migrant touches U.S. land, he or she can stay. But unlike Cubans, Haitians are not afforded this privilege. They are usually denied asylum in the United States and sent back regardless of the fact if they touch land.
On December 3 of last year, a ship with 187 Haitian migrants grounded off of Elliott Key. Most of those Haitians are still being detained, despite the fact that they've already proven their case for political asylum. MAYOR JOE CELESTIN, NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA: For the last 10 months, our government has singled out the Haitians for special discriminatory treatment and refused to release them from detention while releasing asylum seekers from just about every other country very, very quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fair due process, that's all we ask for is fair treatment, equal treatment but not special treatment.
MARSHALL: With just a week before the November 5 elections, politicians are keeping a close eye on what happens to this latest group of migrants, most of whom touched land. Meanwhile, INS is not making any promises that this group of Haitians will be afforded the same privileges as Cubans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't speculate on what the outcome of this case, these individual cases are going to be. It's simply too early to speculate and it would be irresponsible on my part to do that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That report from Samantha Marshall of CNN affiliate WFOR in Miami.
And we will have more on the boat load of Haitians coming in from Miami.
Mark Potter will join us shortly.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 30, 2002 - 05:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to an immigration nightmare. More than 200 Haitians who made it to shore in Miami are beginning their first full day on U.S. soil. The question is whether they'll be allowed to stay. Many say U.S. policy on this issue reeks of discrimination.
We get details from reporter Samantha Marshall of CNN Miami affiliate WFOR.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The people are hungry. They are dying. The political situation is unstable.
SAMANTHA MARSHALL, WFOR CORRESPONDENT: The very spot were dozens of Haitian migrants jumped to safety seeking freedom in the United States is now the stage for politicians and Haitian advocate groups fighting for equal treatment.
CARLINE PAUL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HAITIAN-AMERICAN YOUTH: Only Haitians today in America are held indefinitely, even after proving credible fear of persecution. Any other group of refugees who come here and can prove, can pass that threshold are released.
MARSHALL: Advocates charge that INS routinely discriminates against Haitians by not allowing them the same treatment as other migrants, mainly Cubans, fueling frustrations, the wet foot, dry foot policy, a law that states once a Cuban migrant touches U.S. land, he or she can stay. But unlike Cubans, Haitians are not afforded this privilege. They are usually denied asylum in the United States and sent back regardless of the fact if they touch land.
On December 3 of last year, a ship with 187 Haitian migrants grounded off of Elliott Key. Most of those Haitians are still being detained, despite the fact that they've already proven their case for political asylum. MAYOR JOE CELESTIN, NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA: For the last 10 months, our government has singled out the Haitians for special discriminatory treatment and refused to release them from detention while releasing asylum seekers from just about every other country very, very quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fair due process, that's all we ask for is fair treatment, equal treatment but not special treatment.
MARSHALL: With just a week before the November 5 elections, politicians are keeping a close eye on what happens to this latest group of migrants, most of whom touched land. Meanwhile, INS is not making any promises that this group of Haitians will be afforded the same privileges as Cubans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't speculate on what the outcome of this case, these individual cases are going to be. It's simply too early to speculate and it would be irresponsible on my part to do that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That report from Samantha Marshall of CNN affiliate WFOR in Miami.
And we will have more on the boat load of Haitians coming in from Miami.
Mark Potter will join us shortly.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
