Plan To Bring Haitians To Central Fla. Not Set In Stone

WFTV News ^ | 1:50 pm EST January 15, 2010 | WFTV9 News Staff

[Candor7]

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The American Red Cross says a plan to bring 45,000 evacuees from Haiti to Florida, and 4,000 of those to Orange County, is not set in stone. The Red Cross clarified Friday who could be involved in a plan to move people out of Haiti.

The Red Cross is preparing for two things: the repatriation of Americans living in Haiti and the possibility of a mass migration of Haitian nationals.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIDEO REPORT: Haitian Refugees Could Come To Orlando HELP OUT: Local Organizations | National Organizations SPECIAL SECTION: Quake Recovery Updates, Donation Info --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The American Red Cross has seen massive migration into the U.S. from areas like Kosovo and Bosnia in the past, but no determination has been made yet in the case of Haiti. But the repatriation of Americans has already begun. Eyewitness News was told that it includes people like missionaries who may have already been working in Haiti before the quake.

The U.S. citizens are being brought into South Florida through Miami and Homestead, where their identities can be verified. Thursday night, five flights arrived with 190 Americans on board.

“I think that we will continue see U.S. citizens coming in over the weekend and through the beginning of next week. And that would be our first focus and first wave and, I think, as the conditions are assessed in Haiti and some decisions are made both with our federal government and the Haitian government about what’s best for their citizens,” Director of Emergency Services Becky Sebren said.

Americans continued to arrive in South Florida Friday afternoon and, as the United States plans its strategy to help Haiti, the state closest to the island nation is taking center stage with a plan to bring tens of thousands of refugees to Florida and approximately 4,000 to Orlando.

Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty says he has some concerns with the possible plan. If Haitians are brought to Central Florida, the county, city and possibly other area communities will have to scramble to figure out where to put the earthquake victims, and it will be a tough challenge.

"It would occur to me that there is a legal process associated with that and it would probably have to come through the State Department in terms of citizenship and visas, work visas [and] that sort of thing," Mayor Crotty said.

What that influx of people brings with it is a very large service demand, particularly in the area of social services in what is already a tough economy.

"We're very stressed financially right now and this is going to add to that stress," Mayor Crotty said. "So this is a balance we're going to have to work on strengthening."

Governor Charlie Crist told Eyewitness News Friday that, while he's talked to the Secretary of Homeland Security about bringing Haitians to Florida, nothing has been decided at this point.

Governor Crist was at a jobs summit in Orlando Friday morning. Crist wouldn't confirm whether Haitian refugees would be coming to Central Florida; he did say that Florida has pledged to do everything it can to help those in need after the earthquake.

"We want to be in touch with the State Department, making sure we're doing what is necessary for these people to get the help they need and deserve," Crist said.

Governor Crist said, because of mild hurricane seasons for the past several years, there are a lot of relief supplies available in Florida. He said some of those supplies will be used to help Haitians in need.

Additionally, the State of Florida has opened a new emergency information hotline about the Haiti quake. It's meant to give Floridians a link to informational resources on the international response and recovery efforts.

The hotline number is 1-800-342-3557. You can call for information between the hours of 10:00am until 6:00pm

[ivyleaguebrat]

Eh I'm pretty sure that order refers to allowing Haitians who are already here (legally or illegally) to stay for the time being.

From the page you linked: I am a Haitian national; currently I cannot return to Haiti due to the earthquake and would like to apply for TPS. Am I eligible to apply for TPS?

To qualify, you must:

* Be a national of Haiti, or a person without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti

* Have continuously resided in the U.S. since January 12, 2010.

* Have been continuously physically present in the U.S. since the date of the Federal Register Notice publication, and

* Meet certain immigrant admissibility requirements, and other TPS eligibility requirements (See INA § 244(c), 8 U.S.C. § 1254a and 8 C.F.R. §§ 144.2-244.4.)

* Satisfactorily complete all TPS application procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing Haitian TPS, the TPS application instructions (Form I-821), and regulations at 8 C.F.R. §§ 244.6 - 244.9.

[Candor7]

You hit the nail on the head.

Its demograpohic warfare.

Why can’t we import a million conservatives from white Europe????Poland, Scotland and Ireland. Good Christians?

Or should we have a civil war instead???

[Candor7]

You are wasting your time.I am an immigration attorney.

Belive me when I tell you that the TPS quota does not apply to Haitians who are already in the USA. It applies to all Haitians who are in the USA until further notice of a date in the future.It is open ended. I checked.You didn’t.

[angelcindy]

Obama takes months to send troops to afghanastan...and 2 days to haiti

[bestintxas]

While we all sympathize with the victims of the natural disaster in Haiti, this is no reason to give up our sovereignty to allow people into this country.

We simply cannot support the billions in the world who would wish a better life here. All it will do is drag us down closer to their level.

i believe we need to promote immigration, but only for those who can improved our country.

Importing in poor, uneducated people who will live on the backs of the rest of us via welfare is not an option.

[ivyleaguebrat]

Well, I believe you. But do you mind showing me where you “checked”? All I have to go on is the page you linked to, which says:

17. I am a national of Haiti; I arrived in the United States after January 12, 2010. Am I eligible for TPS?

No. To be eligible for benefits, nationals of Haiti (or persons having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) must have continuously resided in the United States since January 12, 2010.

[Candor7]

You have to read the TPS summary page,and then go to the Haiti Link. When you see them together one after the o ther,you will realize that Obama has signed an executive order. I do not have the executive order number , yet. It is open ended as to time and number.

[Candor7]

You in your wisdom have summarized current immigration law.

Obama does not enforce current immigration law.Why?

Demographic warfare on America based on historic justice in which the alleged transgressions of our white fire fathers must be paid for by us.in other words its the same fascism as Hitlers.

Fascism. Thats what this demographic warfare means. I will make war on fascists.How about you?

[Frantzie]

I have been attacked several times on FR by people saying I am heartless. The liberal media and Obama are hatching something in Haiti.

They are lying during the coverage. Not allowing resscue teams in from Texas and a few others? No damage around the airport or surrounding buildings?

Wag the Dog moment like Kosovo and Clinton. TV news can create ANY lie they want.

[Frantzie]

I have been attacked several times on FR by people saying I am heartless. The liberal media and Obama are hatching something in Haiti.

They are lying during the coverage. Not allowing resscue teams in from Texas and a few others? No damage around the airport or surrounding buildings?

Wag the Dog moment like Kosovo and Clinton. TV news can create ANY lie they want.

[July4]

I agree with you.

To the people who say that Americans live well and can afford to support Haiti and Haitian immigrants to this country, I say NO. We don’t owe them a living; we do owe them humanitarian assistance in the wake of a catastrophe.

I have worked for 50 years to raise a family, pay for a house, establish a business, etc., and I am STILL working. If Haitians want prosperity and security, they can get it the same way we did: work for it. As Sammy Davis, Jr. said when someone was wowed by the jewelry he wore, “I didn’t steal it.” He earned it, and Americans have earned their prosperity. Let the Haitians stop sacrificing chickens and start sacrificing their time and energy to see that their children are honorable, healthy, educated, and imbued with a work ethic. Prosperity will come.

[Candor7]

Y9u are absolutely right. I have neenpostingthe same thig for days.

Obama will engineer a failure of aid initiatives in Hiati. He encourages lootersm keeps aid from reaching the needy, and he has all the bureaucracy needed to do so.

The result will be an engineered necessity to evacuate Haitians to Florida.

There will be up to 1 millio Haitians brought to Florida so they can vote Obama in 2012.

Demographic warfare.Tyranny.

Thats the fact. It will bring civil war.

[LearsFool]

That Janet Neapolitan woman is talking out both sides of her mouth. From this article:

"But attempting to leave Haiti now will only bring more hardship to the Haitian people and nation."

"Those who attempt to travel to the United States after January 12, 2010 will not be eligible for TPS and will be repatriated."

But a few paragraphs below:

"The entire Department stands ready to receive evacuees safely and securely in the United States."


I read that TPS notice the same way Ivyleaguebrat did. But Neapolitan's doublespeak makes me suspect they're going to do whatever they think they can get away with - which means more foreigners will be imported to colonize my country.

[Candor7]

You got to read how TPS works. The Haiti TPS is completely open ended as to tume frame and number. 200 thousand is arbitrary. It could be 2 million.

You are absolutely correct IMHO. Want to have dinner? LOL.

[Spirochete]

They don’t need to come here, and we can’t absorb them. They don’t speak English or even Spanish, they’re generally unskilled and poorly educated people, and there is no way our economy can simply soak them up.

Sending them to Florida or even the US in general is both unnecessary and utterly insane.

They are also afflicted with a lot of contagious diseases (Leprosy, Yaws, TB, HIV).

Bringing them here is truly insane.

[bushpilot1]

Haitian Voodoo

[bestintxas]

“Let the Haitians stop sacrificing chickens”

It’s a lot worse than that. Read http://www.wehaitians.com/disturbing%20revelations%20of%20human%20sacrifice.html

Do we really want large amounts of this type of people in this country?

[livius]

This is to make Florida Obamas in 2012, a swing state.

I agree.

[ivyleaguebrat]

Hopefully she just means that if there is a mass exodus from the country by boat, it won’t be a complete clusterf*ck as authorities scramble to react.

Hopefully that’s what she means. I sympathize with everyone’s suspicions.

[LearsFool]

You got to read how TPS works. The Haiti TPS is completely open ended as to tume frame and number. 200 thousand is arbitrary. It could be 2 million.

Given the ongoing colonization of America by foreigners and their inferior cultures, I'm inclined to take your word over that of our rulers.

Both we and Haiti, (and Mexico, etc.) would, in my opinion, be better off if these troubled countries resigned their sovereignty and became colonies. But since colonialism* has been trashed by "modern", "progressive", "enlightened" political theory, that'll never happen until we dump multiculturalism as an indisputable philosophy and once again face the realities of this world. Meanwhile, guided by some sort of demented affirmative-action immigration policy, we import the undesirables of other nations, weakening our own.

*Colonialism of inferior cultures by superior ones, that is. Colonialism of superior cultures by inferior ones proceeds apace - part of the reparations the West must pay to make amends for our efforts to lead barbarians to a state of civilization.