Congresswoman McCormick Visits Broward Transitional Center to See Firsthand the Treatment of Haitian Migrants

“Recently, I visited the Broward Transitional Center to witness firsthand the plight of migrants in our country. We have all seen the influx of Haitian migrants at the Florida shores due to political, social, and economic instability in the Republic of Haiti. 

“I am often asked why anyone would risk their lives to get on a wooden boat, travel for days on sea, sometimes with newborn babies, and the possibility of drowning to death while on a journey to a foreign land where they often don’t speak the language or know anyone?   Well, let me tell you what they told me while visiting the detention center where they are being caged - they are left with no alternatives. Many of these migrants are seeking refuge and cannot return to their native country due to fear of persecution, immense violence, and anarchy. It is illegal and unconscionable to repatriate Haitian nationals under these circumstances.

“Since my arrival to Congress, I have called on the Biden Administration to rescind Title 42 and halt deportation and expulsion flights to Haiti. This Administration, unfortunately, continues to violate U.S. asylum law and evade U.S. treaty obligations by blocking and returning asylum seekers to places where their lives and safety are in peril.

“The Department of Homeland Security regularly sends pregnant women, babies, and children to Haiti without the right to due process or undergo a credible fear interview to determine their eligibility for asylum to a country the Administration has acknowledged is unsafe and cannot receive its nationals.   As of this week, more than 210 flights have landed in Haiti. This Trump-Era public health authority cannot continue to be used as an excuse to turn away and repatriate Haitian migrants. The Administration has made an exception to Title 42 for refugees from Ukraine while welcomed- it is nonetheless blatant discrimination.

“I am calling for the Biden Administration to invite families to apply for the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program. I also demand that the Biden Administration also enforce the Immigration Naturalization Act (INA) provisions and provide Humanitarian Parole to Haitian nationals at the U.S.-Mexico border. We must live up to the ideals of this nation by treating all migrants with dignity and in accordance with the rule of law.

“At my Press Conference I was honored and privileged to have some of the most dedicated immigration advocates and elected officials from my district and across South Florida, who serve as the voice of countless families trying to navigate our complex immigration system, standing with me.

They were:

• Dr. Rosalind Osgood, State Senator

• Maxwell Chambers, Commissioner with the City of Miramar

• Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin, District 3, Vice Chair of National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (The National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON)

• Tessa Petit, Co-Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC)

• Vanessa Joseph, Supervising Attorney at Catholic Legal Services

• Representative of Haitian American Nurses Association (HANA)

• Representative of Haitian American Professionals Coalition, Inc. (HAPC)

• Representative of SantLa

• Representative of HAAMCC Haitian Chamber of Commerce Inc.

• Representative of Office of New Americans

• Representative of Jean Law Group