>> DESPITE THE FOCUS ON THE MASS EXPULSION OF HAITIANS WERE THAT NOW EMPI-- EMPTY BORDER CAMP IN
DEL RIO, TEXAS.
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THERE ARE
NOW IN THE U.S. AND BEGINNING
THE ASYLUM CLAIMS PROCESS.
>> AND COUNTLESS WILL BE DOING
THAT WHILE LIVING WITH RELATIVES
OR SPONSORS RIGHT HERE IN SOUTH
FLORIDA.
WE MET SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES
HERE THIS WEEK WHOSE EXPERIENCES
SHED SOME LIGHT ON QUESTIONS AND
CONFUSION IN THE PROCESS.
FIRST THOUGH THEIR FIRST HAND
ACCOUNT OF WHAT THEY CHOSE TO
ENDURE.
>> THEY ARRIVED STRANGERS IN
SOUTH FLORIDA, STEPHANIE AND HER
FOUR YEAR OLDE VON, JIMMY AND
HIS YOUNG FAMILY, ALL DESCRIBING
A SIMILAR, TERRIFYING JOURNEY TO
THE BORDER.
>> YOU SEE THE SKELETON WITH
CLOTHES ON THEM WORK DEAD
BODIES.
YOU SMELL IT.
AS ARE YOU WALKING UP THE
MOUNTAIN, THAT THEY JUST GIVE
UP.
>> AT THE MOMENT WE WERE UNDER
THE BRIDGE.
ALL WE PRETTY MUCH CARE ABOUT IS
TO GET OUT TO MAKE IT.
>> ALL HAD BEEN THERE UNDER THE
BRIDGE IN DEL RIO.
THE HUMAN CRISIS RIVETTING A
NATION.
HAITIANS SOME FOR YEARS IN
BRAZIL AND CHILE TRYING TO
SUSTAIN THEIR FAMILIES THERE,
HEARING WORD OF MOUTH LAST
SPRING, THE U.S. WAS READY TO
TAKE THEM IN.
>> I HAVE COUSIN, I’M IN TEXAS.
>> AND HE SENT YOU.
>> HE SENT ME THE ADDRESS TO
WHERE HE WAS AT.
>> THEY ARE AMONG THE FAMILIES
GRANTED THE PRIZE CHANCE AT THE
ASYLUM PROCESS.
THEIR RESCUE AND RESOURCES NOW
DEPEND ON RELATIVES OR
NONPROFITS LIKE GIVING HEARTS
WITH MOUTHS FOUNDATION, SO MUCH
OF MONEY THEY HAD TO SPEND ALONG
THE WAY WAS TO THE SMUGGLERS, SO
CALLED GUIDES ALONG THE ROUTES.
>> SOMETIMES THEY FOUND
DOLLARS,O $2, THE SAME PEOPLE
THAT GOT YOU THERE IS THE SAME
PEOPLE THAT IS ROBBING, RAPING.
>> RELATIVES WERE RAPED, JIMMY
WAS INJURED, IMPLORED TO KEEP
GOING FOR HIS FAMILY.
WHILE WE WERE THERE JIMMY HAD TO
CHECK IN ELECTRONICALLY FOR
IMMIGRATION, STEPHANIE WAS
FITTED FOR GPS TRACKING AS HER
ASYLUM CASE PROG SESS AM ALL
TELL US FAITH BROUGHT THEM HERE,
HOPE KEEPS THEM GOING.
>> MY JOB WAS WITH ME, I WASN’T
WITH MYSELF.
>> BY ALL ACCOUNTS THEY HAVE
BEEN HAVING SIMILAR ACCOUNTS BUT
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES’ AS THEY
BEGIN THIS ASYLUM PROCESS WHICH
IS THE PROCESS TANGLED IN
POLITICAL FINGER POINTING AND
BUREAUCRATIC DELAYS AND SOME
LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS.
>> WELL, TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE
QUESTION WE HAVE INVITED
CASSANDRA, IS HE SH IS WHERE US,
AN ATTORNEY FOR AMERICANS FOR
IMMIGRANT, WELL RESPECTED
ORGANIZATIONSK GOOD MORNING OR
GOOD AFTERNOON BY THIS POINT.
WE’RE GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> COULD YOU TELL US, WHAT
GENERALLY ARE THE CHANCES THAT
THESE HAITIANS WHO ARRIVE WILL
HAVE AN ASYLUM CLAIM GRANTED TO
THEM?
WHAT ARE THEIR CHANCES?
>> WELL, THE CHANCES ARE VERY
SLIM BECAUSE THE MIAMI
IMMIGRATION COURT, FOR INSTANCE,
HAS A HIGH DENIAL RATE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY DON’T,
THEY ARE NOT AFFORDED PUBLIC
DEFENDERS.
THEY ARE NOT APPOINTED COUNSEL.
THEY NEED TO HIRE THEIR OWN
ATTORNEY WHICH IF THEY ARE LUCKY
THEY COULD HAVE SERVICES FROM
US, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION, BUT WE HAVE
EXTREMELY LIMITED RESOURCES, SO
THEY WOULD HAVE TO AFFORD THE
ATTORNEY, GET THE TESTIMONY, GET
THE DOCUMENTS, PLUS THEY’RE
BEING CROSS EXAMINED BY DHS AND
ALSO THE JUDGE.
GIVING THE LOW RATE IN THE HIGH
DENIAL GRANTS OF ASYLUM T IS
VERY HARD FOR THEM TO GET
ASYLUM.
>> CASSANDRA, SINCE WE COVERED
THE INITIAL CRISIS AT THE
BORDER, AND IT WAS A
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS BY ALL
ACCOUNTS, TO DOUBT, AND THE
MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION
WAS DON’T COME BECAUSE YOU WILL
BE EXPELLED.
WE WATCHED THOSE FLIGHTS TAKE
OFF FROM PORT-AU-PRINCE,
SUMMARILY EXPEMMING AND
DEPORTING SOME OF THE PEOPLE
UNDER THE CAMP BUT THE VAST
MAJORITY WERE NOT DEPORTED AND
IT IT RAISES A LOT OF QUESTIONS
LIKE WHY, WHY WERE, AND WE’RE
LOOKING AT SOME OF THAT VIDEO
NOW, WHY WERE THESE PEOPLE IN
PARTICULAR EXPELLED UNDER A
HEALTH POLICY TITLE 42 BECAUSE
OF THE COVID PANDEMIC AND YET
THREE QUARTERS OF THE PEOPLE WHO
WERE THERE WERE NOT EXPELLED AND
SOME WERE VACCINATED.
SOME WERE TESTED.
SOME WERE NOT VACCINATED, SOME
WERE NOT TESTED.
WHY IS THERE SUCH A DISCREPANCY
IN WHO GETS TO DO WHAT?
>> BEFORE I ANSWER THAT QUESTION
I WANT TO DISPELL THIS MYTH.
PLEASE KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF
HAITIANS WHO HAVE BEEN REMOVED,
OVER 6,000 ECK PELLED TO HATE
AYE, NOT KEUNTING GUATEMALA AND
MEXICO.
SO THE MAJORITY BEING ALLOWED
HERE IS NOT NECESSARILY TRUE
GIVEN THE NUMBERS WE’RE GETTING.
>> WELL LET ME CLARIFY THAT I’M
TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBERS FROM
THAT ENCAMPMENT AND THOSE ARE
THE NUMBERS THAT THE DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS
PUBLICLY PUT OUT FROM THAT ONE
INSTANCE AT THE BORDER CAMP.
>> OKAY, BUT WE HAVE
DOCUMENTATION THAT THERE IS
MORE, THEY HAVE OVER 6,000
HAITIANS HAVE BEEN EXPELLED BUT
HOWEVER, TO ANSWER THAT
QUESTION, WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY
THE CRITERIA THAT THE GOVERNMENT
IS USING TO TITLE 42 OR TITLE 8
BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN EXPELLED BACK TO
HAITI, WITH FAMILIES WITH YOUNG
CHILDREN AND ONES WHO HAVE BEEN
PROCESSED HERE WITH FAMILY AND
CHILDREN SO WE REALLY DON’T KNOW
WHAT CRITERIA THEY ARE USING TO
MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
>> CASSANDRA, BOTH GLENNA AND I
ARE VERY WELL ACQUAINTED WITH
AIJ, AMERICANS FOR IMMIGRANT
JUSTICE, YOUR FOUNDER AND
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHERYL LITTLE
IS A FRIEND.
WE HAVE IMMENSE RESPECT FOR HER
AND THE WORD THAT AIJ DOES BUT
YOU DO HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES.
SO WHERE ARE THESE, ALL THESE
HAITIANS WHO ARE HERE NOW, THEY
ARE GOING TO NEED LEGAL
REPRESENTATION, WHERE WILL THEY
GET IT?
>> THEY MAY GET IT THROUGH OUR
ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE ANOTHER SISTER
ORGANIZATION CALLED-- BUT WE
HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT WE
HAVE VERY EXTREMELY LIMITED
RESOURCES.
AND ALSO UNFORTUNATELY THEY WILL
HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR ATTORNEY
BECAUSE THE PUBLIC DEFENDER
SYSTEM DOES NOT EXIST IN
IMMIGRATION COURT.
>> YOU KNOW, I WANT TO POSE TO
YOU A QUESTION THAT I HAVE BEEN
HEARING A LOT OVER THE PAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH PEOPLE WHO
ARE NOT FAMILY WITH-- FAMILIAR
WITH THIS PROCESS, AND ARE
WATCHING THE NEWS AND SEEING
WHAT IS HAPPENING.
WE UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE
IMMIGRATION ISSUE IS SO HIRED IN
POLITICS.
WEEDING THROUGH THAT, THERE ARE
PEOPLE WHO FEEL LIKE ALL OF
KSH-- ALL OF THESE PEOPLE AT THE
BORDER, THEY SEE ALL OF THESE
PEOPLE COME IN, THEY’RE QUITE
SURE THAT PEOPLE WILL JUST
DISAPPEAR INTO THE ETHER AND
LIVE ILLEGALLY AND NOT GO
THROUGH THE PROCESS WILL.
AND YET IN JUST THE VERY EXAMPLE
WE SHOWED TODAY, STEPHANIE HAD A
G-P SRK MONITOR ON HER ANKLE.
AND JIMMY WAS CHECKING IN ON HIS
OWN WITH HIS IMMIGRATION AGENT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM
YOU AN OUR VIEWERS WOULD LIKE TO
HEAR FROM YOU, HOW DO THESE
PEOPLE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS
FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS LEGALLY
AND RIGHTLY LOO-- RIGHTFULLY ON
THEIR OWN ACCORD, AND IT IS THE
HONESTY SYSTEM, IS IT NOT?
>> I’M SORRY, COULD YOU REPHRASE
THE QUESTION, I’M NOT REALLY
UNDERSTANDING.
>> PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOW BEEN
GRANTED THE ASYLUM PROCESS ARE
HERE DOING THAT.
AND THERE IS A PROCESS THAT THEY
ARE TRUSTED TO FOLLOW.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR
EXPERIENCES WITH THOSE WHO DO OR
MAYBE DO NOT.
>> WELL, THOSE WHO DO NOT FOLLOW
BASICALLY THE VIDEO THAT YOU
HAVE SHOWN IN TERMS OF STEPHANIE
HAVING AN ANKLE MONITOR AND
JIMMY HAVING TO REPORT TO ICE
REMOTELY, JUST SO YOU KNOW,
BEFORE THEY ARE RELEASED, THERE
ARE CONDITIONS THEY HAVE TO
MEET.
THEY CAN’T BE A MENACE TO
SOCIETY AND ALSO THEY NEED TO
FOLLOW CERTAIN CRITERIA UPON
BEING RELEASED.
IF THEY FOLLOW THE SYSTEM THEY
WILL GO TO COURT, FILE THEIR
CLAIM AND HOPEFULLY IF IT GETS
GRANTED IT GETS GRANTED.
IF THEY DON’T FOLLOW THE PROCESS
UPON BEING RELEASED, ONCE THEY
GET APPREHENDED, THEY WILL GO
BACK TO THE DETENTION FACILITY.
>> CASSANDRA, WE UNDERSTAND THAT
THE IMMIGRATION COURTS, NOT JUST
IN SOUTH FLORIDA BUT ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ARE JUST JAMMED.
THEY ARE WAY BEHIND ON HEARING
THE CASES.
HOW LONG MIGHT IT MIGHT
FOR-- MIGHT IT BE FOR THE
HARYBANS WHO ARRIVED IN THE LAST
WEEK, THE ONES WHO GLENNA SPOKE
TO BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY GET A
HEARING BEFORE AN IMMIGRATION
JUDGE.
>> IT DEPENDS.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS
INSTITUTED A DEDICATED DOCK ET
THAT IS DEVOTED TO ASYLUM
SEEKERS WITH FAMILIES.
AND IF YOU ARE UNDER THAT DOCK
ELEVATOR, PLEASE-- DOCK ET,
PLEASE NOTE THAT NOT ALL
FAMILIES ARE UNDER THAT DOCKET
BUT THE PROJECTED GOAL IS TO
HAVE YOUR FINAL HEARING WITHIN A
YEAR.
IF ARE YOU IN THE NONDEDICATED
DOCKET IT IS A A.
>> WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE
TIMEWISE.
>> IN TERMS FOR ASYLUM.
>> YEAH, OR THE PROCESS.
>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY GIVEN
COVID, THE COURT SYSTEMS HAVE
NOT BEEN AS, THEY’RE NOT HEARING
CASES AS OFTEN.
SO MOW WE’RE SEEING HEARINGS
SCHEDULED FOR 2023, 2024,
UNFORTUNATELY.
>> WELL, CASSANDRA FROM
AMERICANS FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE,
AIJ, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND
WE WISH YOU WELL WITH YOUR
REPRESENTATION OF HAITIAN
MIGRANTS, THANKS FOR JOINING US.