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More Than 200 Illegal Immigrants from Haiti at Detention Center in Florida
Aired October 30, 2002 - 13:07 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: More than 200 illegal immigrants from Haiti are now at a detention center today in Florida, awaiting processing. The Haitians were rounded up yesterday after many of them jumped from a packed wooden boat into the surf off of Key Biscayne. Immigration authorities are conducting a criminal investigation, as Susan Candiotti reports now live from Miami.
Susan, it was a wild scene to watch as it developed.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was. A very, still emotionally and politically charged issue, as these more than 200, as you indicated, Haitian migrants making their way to the Miami shoreline yesterday afternoon.
You saw these pictures, which are, as we said, quite remarkable. Men, women and children jumping from this boat, in shallow waters around Miami's Key Biscayne area and in fact wading to shore. Many of these people wearing their Sunday finest clothes as they made this treacherous journey from Haiti to the United States.
Very controversial in this particular area because, you can see the crossing that they made. And they were at sea for many, many, many days. And it is controversial because of the difference between the way Haitian migrants, or example and Cuban migrants. Cubans, for the most part, are treated as political refugees. And if they reach the shores, they are automatically allowed to remain in the United States. That is not the case with Haitian migrants who most always are sent back because they are viewed as economic refugees.
However, all of these migrants will be able to make their case. They hope, anyway, if they are able to hire lawyers and try to make a case, many of them, that they are political refugees, as well.
Now, today there was a brief meeting set up during a campaign appearance by Governor Jeb Bush, who is, of course, campaigning for re-election here. And he made a stop at a local school in Miami. At that time, among the people who were there on the podium with him, Congressman Carrie Meek -- Congresswoman Carrie Meek who is a Democrat, and she directly approached the governor on this issue in a very dramatic way. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CARRIE MEEK (D), FLORIDA: I came to ask you if you would call your brother and ask him to call INS to release the Haitians that are in detention. They don't need a new policy. All they have to do is call. The wet foot/dry foot policy will take effect. Those Haitians are standing on dry land. My blood has been transferred to them, governor.
BUSH: Congresswoman, I appreciate it.
QUESTION: I love them.
BUSH: I respect your position.
QUESTION: Please, call him, governor, and ask him to please -- you can do it.
BUSH: Thank you.
QUESTION: We can't do it. The Congress can't do it. We tried our best. We can't do it. If you call him...
BUSH: You know, we worked together in 1998 to change the immigration laws. With your leadership, that occurred to provide for more just treatment of Haitians. My position is, as I stated, if people have a well-founded fear of persecution, they should be allowed into the community, out of Krome and they should be able to pursue those remedies through administrative...
QUESTION: Tell your brother they can be released right now. You can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Well, Haitian Americans plan to keep drumming this issue as best they can. And there have been a number of demonstrations, a couple yesterday, one this morning, and another one scheduled outside the offices and headquarters of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services this afternoon as many people protest the treatment of these Haitian migrants.
It's certainly an issue, Martin, that is not going to go away any time soon. It comes up time and again. And all kinds of questions being raised about it again. And not a good time, certainly, for Governor Jeb Bush during his re-election campaign.
SAVIDGE: That's what I was going to ask you about. You mention the issue of timing here. Jeb Bush in a very tight race and now this literally lands on his doorstep. What are the potential pitfalls for him?
CANDIOTTI: Reporter: well, certainly there could be major pitfalls for him in certain segments of the community. Those people who think that these migrants are being treated unfairly might decide to take up this issue and, you know, go against Governor Jeb Bush at the election polls. We have not heard yet, to the best of my knowledge, from his opponent, Democrat Jim McBride, who is running against Governor Jeb Bush. So we'll wait to see what happens as the day goes on.
SAVIDGE: We certainly will. Susan Candiotti reporting to us from Miami. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Center in Florida>
Aired October 30, 2002 - 13:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: More than 200 illegal immigrants from Haiti are now at a detention center today in Florida, awaiting processing. The Haitians were rounded up yesterday after many of them jumped from a packed wooden boat into the surf off of Key Biscayne. Immigration authorities are conducting a criminal investigation, as Susan Candiotti reports now live from Miami.
Susan, it was a wild scene to watch as it developed.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was. A very, still emotionally and politically charged issue, as these more than 200, as you indicated, Haitian migrants making their way to the Miami shoreline yesterday afternoon.
You saw these pictures, which are, as we said, quite remarkable. Men, women and children jumping from this boat, in shallow waters around Miami's Key Biscayne area and in fact wading to shore. Many of these people wearing their Sunday finest clothes as they made this treacherous journey from Haiti to the United States.
Very controversial in this particular area because, you can see the crossing that they made. And they were at sea for many, many, many days. And it is controversial because of the difference between the way Haitian migrants, or example and Cuban migrants. Cubans, for the most part, are treated as political refugees. And if they reach the shores, they are automatically allowed to remain in the United States. That is not the case with Haitian migrants who most always are sent back because they are viewed as economic refugees.
However, all of these migrants will be able to make their case. They hope, anyway, if they are able to hire lawyers and try to make a case, many of them, that they are political refugees, as well.
Now, today there was a brief meeting set up during a campaign appearance by Governor Jeb Bush, who is, of course, campaigning for re-election here. And he made a stop at a local school in Miami. At that time, among the people who were there on the podium with him, Congressman Carrie Meek -- Congresswoman Carrie Meek who is a Democrat, and she directly approached the governor on this issue in a very dramatic way. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CARRIE MEEK (D), FLORIDA: I came to ask you if you would call your brother and ask him to call INS to release the Haitians that are in detention. They don't need a new policy. All they have to do is call. The wet foot/dry foot policy will take effect. Those Haitians are standing on dry land. My blood has been transferred to them, governor.
BUSH: Congresswoman, I appreciate it.
QUESTION: I love them.
BUSH: I respect your position.
QUESTION: Please, call him, governor, and ask him to please -- you can do it.
BUSH: Thank you.
QUESTION: We can't do it. The Congress can't do it. We tried our best. We can't do it. If you call him...
BUSH: You know, we worked together in 1998 to change the immigration laws. With your leadership, that occurred to provide for more just treatment of Haitians. My position is, as I stated, if people have a well-founded fear of persecution, they should be allowed into the community, out of Krome and they should be able to pursue those remedies through administrative...
QUESTION: Tell your brother they can be released right now. You can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Well, Haitian Americans plan to keep drumming this issue as best they can. And there have been a number of demonstrations, a couple yesterday, one this morning, and another one scheduled outside the offices and headquarters of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services this afternoon as many people protest the treatment of these Haitian migrants.
It's certainly an issue, Martin, that is not going to go away any time soon. It comes up time and again. And all kinds of questions being raised about it again. And not a good time, certainly, for Governor Jeb Bush during his re-election campaign.
SAVIDGE: That's what I was going to ask you about. You mention the issue of timing here. Jeb Bush in a very tight race and now this literally lands on his doorstep. What are the potential pitfalls for him?
CANDIOTTI: Reporter: well, certainly there could be major pitfalls for him in certain segments of the community. Those people who think that these migrants are being treated unfairly might decide to take up this issue and, you know, go against Governor Jeb Bush at the election polls. We have not heard yet, to the best of my knowledge, from his opponent, Democrat Jim McBride, who is running against Governor Jeb Bush. So we'll wait to see what happens as the day goes on.
SAVIDGE: We certainly will. Susan Candiotti reporting to us from Miami. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Center in Florida>
