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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2017)
May 10, 2017 The Skanner Page 9 News AP Exclusive: US Hunts Evidence of Haitian Immigrant Crimes By Alicia A. Caldwell Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has begun hunting for evidence of crimes com- mitted by Haitian im- migrants as it decides whether to allow them to continue in a human- itarian program that has shielded tens of thou- sands from deporta- tion since a devastating earthquake. The inquiries into any criminal histories of Hai- tian immigrants were made in internal U.S. Citizenship and Immi- gration Services emails obtained by The Asso- ciated Press. They show the agency’s policy chief also wanted to know how many of the roughly 50,000 Haitians enrolled in the Temporary Pro- tected Status program “ But Lapan’s expla- nation doesn’t seem to reflect the apparent im- portance placed on the questions by Kovarik, the Citizenship and Im- migration Services head of policy and strategy, in repeated emails to her staff. “I do want to alert you ... the secretary is going to be sending a request to us to be more respon- sive,” Kovarik wrote on April 27. Addressing the inability of agency employees to gather the requested information about wrongdoing, she said: “I know some of it is not captured, but we’ll have to figure out a way to squeeze more data out of our systems.” The request for crimi- nal data for an entire eth- nic community is unorth- odox. The law doesn’t specify it should be a The request fits in with President Donald Trump’s tough-on-immigration focus that is a core demand of his political supporters gally in the United States and has sought, unsuc- cessfully so far, to sus- pend refugee arrivals and temporarily block visitors from seven Mus- lim-majority countries. He has accused those in the U.S. illegally of fuel- ing criminality. It is unclear if the agen- cy is asking such ques- tions about other recip- ients of the temporary protection, including im- migrants from Honduras and El Salvador. Cheryl Little, executive director of Miami-based Americans for Immi- grant Justice, said the emails show that Trump is looking to deny ben- efits to Haitians instead of considering their eli- gibility for special con- sideration. She said her Haitian clients with Tem- porary Protected Status already were terrified that their benefits would be revoked. “Most of them have lived here upward of 15 years. They work hard. They pay taxes. They have U.S. citizen chil- dren. They contribute greatly to our economy,” she said. Trump courted the votes of Haitian-Amer- ican citizens in the critical state of Flor- ida. Campaigning in Miami’s Little Haiti in September, he said, “The Haitian-American com- munity deserves our gratitude and our re- spect, and I want you to know, you have my re- spect.” Temporary Protected Status is intended to be just that, temporary. The Obama administration included Haiti in the pro- gram shortly after the January 2010 earthquake killed as many as 300,000 people, destroyed much AP PHOTO/GERALD HERBERT, FILE Emails obtained by Associated Press show Trump administration has been seeking histories of Haitians enrolled in Temporary Protected Status program In this Jan. 26, 2010, file photo, Haitian police use sticks to try and keep the crowd in order at a food distribution point in the Cite Soleil neighborhood in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Port-au- Prince. The Trump administration is hunting for evidence of crimes committed by Haitian immigrants as it decides whether to allow them to continue participating in a humanitarian program that has shielded tens of thousands from deportation since the 2010 earthquake. The Homeland Security Department has not made a final decision about Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and declined to comment on the pre-decisional process. The Obama administration included Haiti in the program shortly after the January 2010 earthquake that killed as many as 300,000 people and devastated schools, hospitals, homes and even entire neighborhoods. of the capital and caused widespread damage in the southern part of the Caribbean nation. Since then, Haitians have been eligible to stay regardless of how they entered the United States — legally or illegally — as long as they were residing here before Jan. 12, 2011. Eligibility for Haitians has been repeatedly ex- tended and is to expire July 22. The Trump admin- istration must decide by May 23 so that it can provide 60 days’ notice about its plans. USCIS’ acting director has recommended letting the pro- gram expire. In an April 10 memo first re- ported by USA Today, James McCament were taking advantage consideration for Tem- of public benefits, which porary Protected Status, they are not eligible to and the government has never said it would use receive. The emails don’t make criminal rates in decid- clear if Haitians’ mis- ing if a country’s citizens deeds will be used to de- should be allowed to stay termine whether they under this program. In- can remain in the United troducing new criteria States. The program is is likely to cause conster- intended to help people nation among law-abid- from places beset by war ing Haitians who may or disasters and, normal- feel they are being penal- ly, the decision to extend ized for the wrongdoing it depends on whether of others. But the request fits in conditions in the im- migrants’ home coun- with President Donald tough-on-im- try have improved. But Trump’s emails suggest Home- migration focus that is land Security Secretary a core demand of his John Kelly, who will make political supporters. He the decision, is looking at has enhanced efforts to other criteria. arrest people living ille- Homeland S ecurity spokesman UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PRESENTS: David Lapan said Tuesday that crimi- nal history and other information requested by policy chief Kathy Nueb- el Kovarik Lillis Albina Park, North Flint St. & Russell St., Portland won’t be used LIVE MUSIC! to make a fi- Jazz • Blues • R&B • Latin • Pop Conscious Hip/Hop • NEO-Soul • DJ intermission nal decision. Lapan said Multicultural Food • Market Place • Informational Village • Parade the questions Plus a kid friendly event: were asked Good in the Hood Kids Space, Saturday, June 24 & Sunday, June 25, 12-6pm so that Kelly exciting activities • crafts • exhibits • games • face painting • puppet shows could have a Legacy Emanuel Medical Center’s “Trauma Nurses Talk Tough” fuller under- $6 discounted bicycle helmet sale and much more standing of who is partic- Interested in becoming a Food Vendor, sell merchandise at the Market Place, have an information booth in our ipating in the Information Village, participate in the Parade, becoming a Kids Space sponsor or volunteering at this year’s program. festival? Contact GITH Hotline at 971-302-6380, office 503-388-9030, or visit www.goodnthehood.org The 25th Annual Good in the Hood Music & Food Festival FRIDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 23-25, 2017 said Haiti is no longer in crisis despite its poverty and political instability. However, he wants to al- low the Haitians to stay until January so they have time to make ar- rangements to voluntari- ly leave. If they don’t de- part the U.S. by then, the government could move to deport them. Still, Homeland Secu- rity’s Kelly has the final word. The emails inquiring about misdeeds were sent from April 7 to May 1. In her first week on the job, Kovarik, the policy chief, asked officials how often Haitians with tem- porary status have been convicted of “crimes of any kind,” and how many See HAITI on page 11
