Comments on: Bush to Haitians: Nyet on TPS

By: Haiti Cannot Wait: an Open Letter to President Obama | IMAGINE 2050

Haiti Cannot Wait: an Open Letter to President Obama | IMAGINE 2050 — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:56:30 +0000

[...] is difficult to understand why the Bush administration refused to give temporary protective status to Haitians living in the U.S. in 2008. Haiti fits the very [...]

By: Jocelyn McCalla

Jocelyn McCalla — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:22:40 +0000

Your comments are surely appreciated. With respect to the 30,000 Haitians ordered deported from the US, let me point out that the news is very sketchy, implying that such orders were issued recently. It may be that over the years, the US handed orders of deportation to several thousand Haitians, most of whom were supposed to self-deport. Enforcing the immigration laws and orders of deportation is far more difficult than one can imagine. This is why it's nearly impossible to expel en masse the 12 million or so unauthorized workers estimated to be living in the US, and why the US has toyed with the idea of legalizing all of them should they meet certain criteria. I agree with you that Haitians are deserving of TPS just like Hondurans, Liberians, Nicaraguans and others who have enjoyed this temporary safe haven. This is so because of conditions that prevail in Haiti today. I disagree that the US has an historical debt to Haiti. As professor of history Max Manigat is tired of saying, Haitians did not fight in the battle of Savanah because Haiti did not exist; the French sent volunteers and slaves to assist the Americans in their struggle for independence from the United Kingdom. I hope this helps

By: oneworld

oneworld — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:17:01 +0000

It is just cruel to act this way. I have heard that they have ordered 30000 haitians to leave the U.S Haiti has been a nation of political, economic, and climate crises. There is the double standard. The fact that haitians are black. This makes the difference. They would accept anybody, but haitians. They would grant any other nations with crises, but not Haiti. Why are they treated differently? Why do they consider haitian lives not important to others? I would like to know. But i think history will judge us. Many of the immigrants came in the U.S when the nations had political conflicts. Haiti has been a nation in turmoil, in so many coup d'etats. After every coup d'etat, there is conflict, violence, strife. Immigrants feared their lives, and overstayed. Haitians are a good people who should be treated fairly. It is just unbelievable. It reminds me the time when African Americans could not eat in local restaurant, attend schools, sit in front seat of the bus. "No blacks" "Only Whites". But now they do not say it. But they think this way, "No Haitians" . They forget what haitians have done for this country. They fought for freedom. Remember Savana. It is so unjust to treat these people so unfairly.