Update January 19th: This is one of our earliest posts on the Haitian refugee issue, see our whole new category here with many more recent posts.
Last night I reported that tens of thousands of Haitians illegally in the US have won the lottery—with the earthquake wrecking havoc on Haiti, they have been granted Temporary Protected Status meaning they will stay here indefinitely.
Now comes news that we are going to bring thousands of Haitian refugees to Florida!
From The Orlando Sentinel:
American Red Cross officials Thursday said more than 4,000 Haitian refugees could be coming to Central Florida soon.
The WFTV.com report shows the organization plans to bring the Haitian refugees, as well as more than 45,000 U.S. nationals living in Haiti, to Jacksonville and then divide them among other Florida cities, including Tampa, Miami and Orlando.
Earlier today I heard a discussion on the Laura Ingraham show about lifting the lid on the refugee issue. Laura was interviewing a former (I believe former) ambassador to Haiti who said if the Obama Administration gives the slightest sign of agreeing to take more Haitian refugees, he predicted “millions” would jump into the sea in an effort to get here.
Governor Crist, not closing the door on the idea of taking in Haitian refugees, said it depends on the feds. I think that means he wants to know how much money the federal taxpayer will put in the kitty to care for the impoverished refugees.
… Gov. Charlie Crist added that any plan to shelter Haitian refugees and U.S. nationals living in Haiti in several locations throughout Florida will depend upon the federal government.
Meanwhile Catholic Charities says it will bring “orphaned” children. Does that mean they will do this with private charity or with a per-head payment from the US State Department just as they do with their normal refugees?
Catholic Charities and other South Florida immigrant rights organizations also are planning an ambitious effort to airlift thousands of Haitian children left orphaned in the aftermath of Tuesday’s horrific earthquake — a move mirroring Operation Pedro Pan in the 1960s.
“We will use the model we used 40 years ago with Pedro Pan to bring these orphans to the United States to give them a lifeline, a bright and hopeful future,” Catholic Charities Legal Services executive director Randolph McGrorty said Thursday at a news conference in the offices of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balrart.
With all the chaos, isn’t anyone worried that they will scoop up children who do still have living relatives but might have only become separated during the turmoil? Wouldn’t it make more sense for Catholic Charities to establish some decent orphanages in Haiti for a year or so and try to find families of the supposed “orphaned” children.
There is more:
Warning of a Haitian exodus, here.