From Earthquake to Red Tape

When the earthquake hit Haiti, the world responded…and the U.S. responded admirably, in many ways.  The efforts to help the injured and save lives has focused on the South Florida community.  After so many years of disparate treatment between Cuban and Haitian refugees, it has been encouraging to see this compassion realized in humanitarian action.

But now that the proverbial dust has settled – and despite the continuing challenges which will continue to plague Haiti — those fortunate enough to have received this compassion now face that most insidious of enemies: federal U.S. bureaucracy.  While it is clear that the U.S. can't simply "welcome all comers" and serve as the refuge for the global tide of "huddled masses, yearning to be free" prevalent in this very troubled world, the need for consistency and fairness in policy is self-evident.

According to this morning's Miami Herald, the red tape is getting thick around the Haitian community; it is something I have heard on the streets of Little Haiti as well.  If we as a nation can still justify the need for the 40+ year old Cuban Adjustment provisions, it is difficult to imagine that we can't understand that creating legal complications in the wake of the Haiti's earthquake is absolutely un-American.  Check out the Herald's article:

Red Tape for Haitian Earthquake Victims

Tags: Current Affairs, Immigration and Justice, The Politics of Immigration