Open the door, Mr. President: There are 55,000 reasons to be fair to Haitians

Posted on Thursday, 01.06.11
Open the door, Mr. President
There are 55,000 reasons to be fair to Haitians

As the first painful anniversary of Haiti's earthquake approaches, recovery efforts are mired in a dysfunctional government, a cholera outbreak not of that nation's making and a flawed election that has left Haitians understandably angry and frustrated. The international community -- from the United Nations to the Organization of American States, and, of course, the United States -- is attempting to resolve the political impasse in the recent elections.

Health officials from around the world are helping Haitians fight the cholera killer likely brought from abroad. But only the Obama administration can help Haitians help themselves by allowing the 55,000 Haitians who have approved U.S. visas from before the quake to join their families here.

Incredibly, the Department of Homeland Security hasn't bothered to do right by those 55,000 Haitians. Instead, Homeland Security is poised to send back undocumented Haitians to a country that's stressed beyond most people's imaginations and seems to be shutting the door on 55,000 legal -- we repeat legal -- immigrants whose families have promised to support them until they can find work.

Meantime, U.S. officials are opening another door to the Cuban spouses and minor children of legal Cuban immigrants here after a months-long delay that had put in jeopardy U.S. assistance to 3,200 Cuban migrants.

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/06/2002750/open-the-door-mr-president.html