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The Spectacle Blog
Immigration from and deportation to Haiti has been a hot-button issue for decades. It’s about to get white hot.
The crisis in Haiti is now an urgent matter of establishing life-sustaining resources, law and order, and search and rescue efforts. As horrific as the current crisis is, the next phase will be equally complex but arguably more controversial for United States policymakers. How will the United States — a country that had monumental border issues waiting in the winds before the Haiti earthquake — address the issue of, potentially, hundreds of thousands of Haitian refugees?
As reported by the Washington Times, this question is going to be an aftershock of political discourse:
Americans are already pouring humanitarian aid into Haiti, but the next question for President Obama will be whether to grant temporary legal residence to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants and legal visitors from Haiti.
Already looming as the next big item for the Obama administration, immigration reform was the third stool of the Obama agenda. Cap and Trade came and went (and lingers), health care reform is about to explode with the special election in Massachusetts on Tuesday, and then it will be full-throttle debate on immigration reform.
The United States grants temporary protected status to several countries and can extend that status to others. Haiti is one of the countries that has sought for, but been denied such status. How will President Obama deal with the permanency issues of that status, especially in the wake of the Haitian earthquake?
“I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of argument over whether we should halt deportations for Haitian illegal aliens. The question is how do we make sure this doesn’t become a permanent amnesty, which is essentially what it’s been for everybody else who’s ever gotten it,” he said. Mr. Krikorian said temporary protected status would grant a reprieve to 30,000 Haitians who have deportation orders, as well as an unknown number of others who are in the U.S. illegally or on legal temporary visas.
Whether this helps or hinders one or the other side of the coming debate on illegal immigration remains to be seen. It will definitely add fuel to the fires of each side.
However, despite the devastation in Haiti, we still have to protect our borders and secure our citizens from those who continually attempt to come through our borders in an effort to do us harm. That door is about to be stressed and strained to an extreme degree. It must not become an opening for terrorist groups to get a foot, a leg, or worse in. To think they don’t sniff out opportunities to infiltrate our country with every waking breath, is to be living in a different time.
We need to be awake and vigilant throughout the coming debate. It will likely get incredibly messy.
View all comments (48) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Robert P. Kirchhoefer
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/15/haiti-and-the-coming-debate-on
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S.L. Toddard| 1.15.10 @ 8:34PM
"However, despite the devastation in Haiti, we still have to protect our borders and secure our citizens from those who continually attempt to come through our borders in an effort to do us harm"
Apart from a well guarded wall across our southern border, how will we be able to effect this? And if there is no other way, which conservatives are currently pushing the border wall?
Flee| 1.16.10 @ 1:14AM
This is a perfect opportunity to deport all identifiable Haitians so they can go home and help rebuild their country. As a bonus the US will pay for the trip and give them a little spending cash. That would be one immigration program I think we could all support.
bluecollarbytes| 1.16.10 @ 9:47AM
That's a great suggestion. Perhaps these Haitians have picked up some American 'Can-do' and become 'self-starters', things Haiti needs if there's any hope for it to pull itself up out of its historical deterioration.
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I thought it might be best to turn Haiti over to a Corporation that would identify some achievable goals. Haiti will never be rebuilt properly through 'world consensus'.
diane| 1.22.10 @ 1:04PM
I agree that Haitians now have BILLIONS to rebuild their own country with outside help. Pulling the "racist" trick is old manney, our so-called racist country overwhelmingly voted for a black man. Stop pulling the race card every time ANY issue is even remotely related to minorities.
manney| 1.17.10 @ 8:10AM
You Mr. or Mrs. Flee is an identifiable racist by words and might be one in person the Haitian people help our country fight the biggest battle to gain independence from the Britt and to reward them with such outright injustice is beyond me. Then again it is right in the eyes of all formers past slaves owner and their children
Flo | 1.22.10 @ 10:45PM
I wouldn't be suprised to know that you are one of the IDENTIFIABLE PERSONS. God bless your soul!
Flo | 1.22.10 @ 10:48PM
(I wouldn't be suprised to know that you are one of the IDENTIFIABLE PERSONS. God bless your soul! ) This message is intented for heartless Flee.
Mr. M.| 4.25.10 @ 10:47AM
I think we should also offer this to Haitians who are here legally. Many from this community seem to not want to assimulate and hold on to many cultural practices we consider rude and unethical. Their children are the worst behaved in the public schools, because Haiti has a terrible educational system and high illiteracy rate.
Yosemeti Sam| 1.16.10 @ 1:21AM
The Earth shook Haiti.
Haiti did not disappear.
It is not the 51st state.
Nor the 57th state.
Afford humanitarian aid.
Help to rebuild.
That's it!
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David| 1.16.10 @ 4:17AM
Flee, you're not funny. Even the death of 140,000 human beings is enough for you set your hatred for few days till they are buried. You need to study more American history to get to know about the heart of great Americans and how they transformed this country into what it is today, and I'm sure that YOU yourself carry the genes of those immigrants who crossed here unchecked seeking a better future for you and your seed. Put some love in your heart. a few years ago, some undocumented immigrants joined the search in New York after 911 and others helped rebuild after Katrina, and even ironically many others helped build the fence in our southern border (you could google all these), yet you don't want to help in a time of tragedy--I cannot ask you to have Jesus in your heart--I leave that to destiny to show you compassion and maybe you'll find your heart.
diane| 1.22.10 @ 1:07PM
David you need to study more American history friend....immigrants of the past were INVITED here and welcomed LEGALLY by the US to help build our infrastructure.
Jungle Jim| 1.16.10 @ 5:02AM
I would be all for allowing the Haitians to stay here indefinitely and give them a path to citizenship except for one thing: The racist 'affirmative action' programs.
Due to affirmative action, these Haitians will push lower-class whites further and further to the end of a longer and longer line.
joseph| 1.16.10 @ 7:35AM
God send an advent to the whole world the real question is not haiti ,but God want every every body knows so they also must be ready,because son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Greg| 1.16.10 @ 8:18AM
FEMA is already working thru a contractor to hire 250 to 300 buses to transport "40,000 to 100,000 Haitian refugee's from the Miami area to camps to be set up in Texas and New Mexico" over the next few weeks. These refugee's are to arrive by air and ship. This process began 1/15/10.
Mr. Sims| 1.16.10 @ 7:58PM
Link, URL, Source on this information, please?
Mr. M.| 4.25.10 @ 10:53AM
Why not set up camps in Bell Glade and Pahokee Florida where there are already many hatians and Louisianna where they already have a Creole speaking population?
Martin Owens| 1.16.10 @ 8:33AM
Hey, look on the bright side.
With so many Haitians in the system,
affirmative action will force the
schools to teach French again.
Lydia| 1.16.10 @ 1:55PM
Greg, how can you make such an unsubstantiated statement? Do you have a source for this information? A link? FEMA? A bus company? Things are bad enough with the TPS without misinformation being added to the mix. I would really like to see a citation for your post.
Margie| 1.16.10 @ 3:43PM
If anyone has it in their heart, here is one way you can help. http://www.cbuhaiti.org/
They are Christian Missionaries with hundreds of children in their care.
SoCon| 1.16.10 @ 10:30PM
Margie, did you see the photo of the young Catholic missionary who died at the Haitian orphanage where she worked? She was only 22 years old and so beautiful; my heart breaks for her family.
She always held the babies, she could never understand how their mothers could abandon them.
Saints like her give me hope. God love her and may she rest peacefully in His arms for all eternity.
Ed in Texas| 1.16.10 @ 4:24PM
I believe I read that Napolitano stated that those Haitians currently in the US will be given temporary legal residence status for 18 months. Presumably that will apply to any who manage to make it to US terra firma.
nadege baptiste| 1.16.10 @ 4:34PM
if we don have no money to fill immigration paper what should they do ? that if they been there for a long time sen 8 year
Faluja Benoit| 1.16.10 @ 5:09PM
I am originally from Haiti. I still have family there although not in Port Au Prince. I came to this country with my own money, went to medical school, received my MD license with NO help from the USA. It genuinely hurts my heart to say NO amount of aide anyone sends is going to make Haiti into anything remotely resourceful. Instead of wringing their hands and moaning at all the strife they are put through, why not stop breeding and making matters worse. Why have a child and force it to live in squalor? The ONLY way to make Haiti into anything is for America to take it over 100 percent. There is nothing you can do for these people...their record shows this.
SoCon| 1.16.10 @ 10:22PM
Stop! It's not the children's fault that Haiti still suffers--it's the corruption of the adults that's culpable.
Please, don't blame the children; they are the most innocent among us.
amberdru| 2.5.10 @ 11:50PM
I've been reading Why the Cocks Fight ;the history of Hispanolia.
So many of the "leaders" have just been a series of theives. I'm opposed to giving the government there any money at all. All the aid has just made juntas wealthy.
I'm beginning to think that refugee programs have delayed or stalled democracy . If all the refugees had no choice but to stay they would be more likely to fight for fair elections. It seems the only people left are the dictators,their hench men or the poor who cann't escape. The people who might make a difference have fled.
On a brighter note- Sweden is holding about 4 million dollars Baby Doc has stashed away; there's outcry that that money should go for aid to Hati
karl| 1.16.10 @ 7:23PM
flee you so stupide
Pingback| 1.16.10 @ 10:43PM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Haiti and the Coming Debate … USA Cws links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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tlen| 1.17.10 @ 11:45AM
i predict that Haiti will become America's 58th state. --never know, it might be a good thing.
Bob White| 1.17.10 @ 1:29PM
Charging racism against those with whom you disagree is getting old and outdated. More often than not it means you are on the losing end of an argument if that's the only thing you can think of.We have no problem with non-citizens as long as they are here legally and paying taxes. "Legally" is the key word. If someone is not here legally, that means they violated our laws and should not receive any public benefits, including K-12 public education. These benefits keep the illegal [immigrants] coming.
Ann Witte| 1.17.10 @ 4:24PM
laws change. some of us cannot bear to think of starving, abandoned babies and adults with no trees and no opportunities. especially while we are complaining bitterly about how tough he recession is making things. we are all descendants of poor, desperate people who moved in and took over another land by wiping out the indiginous populaion with disease, inadvertantly?
Brittanicus| 1.17.10 @ 6:33PM
This unsustainable greed cannot last much longer as wages fall and benefits are extinguished by the ruthless use of illegal labor. E-Verify, the local police 287 (g) with the power to arrest, didn't exist prior to President Bush introduction to the job market. From its inception E-Verify to stem illegal aliens from stealing jobs from millions of legitimized workers as part of the progressive SAVE ACT. A lot of American deaths have been camouflaged, because of the growing raging anger of the population. Trying to pass any Comprehensive Immigration Reform, better known as "AMNESTY" or a free ride to reward illegal immigrant is going to cause the biggest backlash of seething ordinary Americans ever seen since the 1986 immigration amnesty, that was an absolute joke--played on the populace.
Free trade under the NAFTA treaty became an abomination, as it deposed indigenous farmers from their income lands South of the border, thanks to US agricultural corporations. They needed to feed their families, so in their desperation they came looking for work in the United States. This catch 22 situation has appropriated lands in Mexico for US agricultural interests, at the same time forcing millions striving to reach this nation. As the Obama administration considers CIR, the numbers of illegal immigrants will rise in apportionment to the new AMNESTY law being to be enacted.
Border States, specifically as CALIFORNIA--a known sanctuary state, is falling apart financially and with no end in sight. Arizona and Texas, must be suffering as any state now, compromised financially by the illegal immigrant occupation? E-Verify continues to contribute to immigration enforcement with a more rational emphasis on identifying foreign workers. It should not be construed as perfect, but it is progressively making headway in removing illegal labor. It's become a paramount issue because years of neglect by previous administrations, but now--REAL--enforcement is watched carefully by bloggers and non-pandering press. Building on it's original concept with new tools has added a much stronger and opponents can no longer denies it works? But any enforcement program that is working is normally easy prey for certain corrupt politicians and the open border organizations. E-Verify, a composite of the SAVE ACT--can only get better--that's if its meant to really succeed? New innovations such as the ID picture comparison program will assist employers in the future. Just like any computer fed application that goes through many debugging versions, until the final cut, E-Verify can only do better as it matures.
It might seem meaningless now, but if the rush to the border comes, as its been said by bloggers' like me and even the press, whom normally have their fingers in their ears. That--NOTHING--will--STOP--the onslaught. The US Border Patrol needs to be enforced with the National Guard, because the numbers who try to force a way into America will overwhelm even the imagination? OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN CRIPPLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND WILL CONTINUE TOO, BECAUSE OF POOR ENFORCEMENT. THE NUMBERS OF 12 TO 13 MILLION ALREADY HERE, DOESN'T ADD UP?
Those who have urged President Obama to enact this nonsensical AMNESTY, will be out-of-office, in the 2010 election year. Sen.Harry Reid (D-NV) leading the pack of wolves, will be the first to end up on the political funeral pyre. Those who come here from South of border and the very tip of South America, will enter with contagious diseases, criminal records and may be even terrorists. Those who slip across the Canadian border or through lengthy tourist lines at airport terminals could also be carriers of many viruses, not seen in America for fifty years.
This is not about racism in regards to stopping illegal immigration, unless a large majority of Americans are considered to be? This about billions of dollars being drained from American taxpayers, about billions for education, health care, the prison system and hidden government entitlements. It's about "THE Rule of LAW" and each administration that refuses to address Immigration Enforcement and allows illegal workers, criminals and even terrorist breaking into a sovereign country. Now they are trying to brain wash us with another--AMNESTY--which we cannot allow to happen? It will be the harbinger of unsustainable population growth according to the US Census Bureau. Don't take my word: GOOGLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, COSTS. & OTHER STATISTICS. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CORRUPTION AND THE AGENDA OF OPEN BORDER ORGANIZATIONS AT NUMBERSUSA & JUDICIAL WATCH. CALL YOUR SENATOR AND CONGRESSMAN AT 202-224-3121. SAY NO TO AMNESTY! SAY YES TO E-VERIFY & POLICE ARREST 287 (G). SAY ICE RAIDS. SAY YES TO THE SAVE ACT. SAY NO TO OVERPOPULATION. If you are against illegal immigration, we too must bombard WASHINGTON with a 28 cent postcard. There are more patriotic Americans and legal residents than illegal foreign nationals, sponging off taxpayers who will pour into our nation by the millions Just before AMNESTY is signed into law.
marcel| 1.18.10 @ 11:42AM
It a bad experience for all haitian.A hope that haitian all over the world learn by that , come together and help haiti alway. not only now but forever
Millie| 1.18.10 @ 3:33PM
But when will Haiti learn to help Haiti?
Mr M.| 4.25.10 @ 11:00AM
The problem with Haiti is Haitians. What needs to happen is a massive literacy and work skill program. The French and the Spanish created this abomination when they started to bring slaves to the carribean, so they are the ones who should fix it.
Emmanuelle| 1.18.10 @ 9:02PM
America need to take over Haiti
CathyG| 1.28.10 @ 10:30PM
^^^ "America need to take over Haiti"
Please give double thought to your opinion. symptoms yeast infection treatment
Pingback| 2.9.10 @ 9:51PM
Haitian Invasion of the U.S. to Commence? | Conservative Heritage Times links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
pricila| 4.24.10 @ 9:41AM
Brad, you need to study some history. The Boston Tea Party was all about taxation WITHOUT representation. You voted and you have representation. ecommerce