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TAMARAC (CBSMiami) – Looking for a better life in America, more than 120 Haitian migrants landed in Key West last week risking it all for freedom on a rickety, old sailboat.
“We have all seen the influx of Haitian migrants at our Florida shores due to political and social instability in the Republic of Haiti,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
Same story the week before last when more than 350 Haitian migrants wound up near the exclusive Ocean Reef Club on Key Largo.
Now, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, along with other South Florida leaders, are voicing concern, just returning from the Broward Transitional Center, where migrants are held in detention.
“One of the biggest things we heard about was the confusion when it came to the immigration process. They said many of the Haitians were sent back. They were expulsed because of Title 42,” explained the Congresswoman.
Title 42 is essentially a health provision in the law that says because of a communicable diseases people will not be let in to the United States.
“It started to be used under the Trump administration when they uncovered it just to be able to exclude a certain group of immigrants, black and brown immigrants,” explained Vanessa Joseph, the Supervising Attorney for Catholic Legal Services.
A legal tactic they argue is still being used aggressively under the Biden Administration.
Tessa Petit with the Florida Immigrant Coalition says, “22,000, that’s the number of Haitians who have been deported since the start of the Biden administration, more than in the previous 10 years.”
Not given due process with what’s known as a “credible fear” interview, instead the congresswoman says treated like prisoners.
“They were actually political asylum seekers, they’re immigrants. They said they found roaches in their food. They said they saw worms in their food. These conditions are not what we pride ourselves by,” she said.
Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick is calling on the Biden administration to immediately rescind Title 42, as well as calling for a halt to all deportations back to Haiti.