Obama To Grant Immunity To Illegal Haitians

[jundp 191]

Is a grammar police bage like a mall cop badge? Now that's a topic.

No I think it's even less valuable than a mall cop badge but perhaps slightly more elevated than a Fashion Police one.

[STEPHnRIA 2]

Fresh off the AP wire is that in light of the tragedy in Haiti, President Obama is granting illegal status Haitians immunity to stay in the USA. Obama's view was that it wouldn't be fair to send them back to Haiti because of the devestation that occured there.

I for one feel the deepest of sympathy for people of Haiti but REALLY???? Immunity from deportation because Haiti suffered an earthquake????

I personally feel like people from Haiti (and all over the world) are welcome to immigrate LEGALLY to the USA, but since when does an earthquake qualify somone basically for asylum in the USA?

There are natural disasters all over the world on a regular basis (ie: the tsunami which all but destroyed Indonasia several years ago) that are tragic in their occurance, but victims of THOSE disaters weren't afforded any special immigration status.

I'm waiting for my fiancee's visa to be LEGALLY processed (as we all are on this forum) and I'm just a little insulted by President Obams's actions.

Alan

It's so sad that you have to compare your situation with the Haitians.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Sounds like you have an agenda to?

Well I was done with this, but since you are asking me a question, no I don't have an agenda, I just want to clarify for you what temporary protected status is, and I'm curious why you kept bringing Obama and illegal immigration into the topic.

I'll post it again. It's a law, part of the code of federal regulations. It applies to all foreign nationals in the USA. It doesn't apply to anyone not on US soil. It doesn't matter how the foreign national arrived on US soil.

When one edits his/her post they have an agenda?

The first time I posted that FACT, you inexplicably replied with Obama's approval ratings. It's not that you edited your post, it's that you edited it with information that had nothing to do with the topic at hand. I don't care what you posted, but you were replying to me and it had nothing to do with what I posted, so I asked if you had an agenda. If you don't, just say no next time.

Your toooo funny go back to watching Sesame Street, but lay off the cookie’s your getting way to much sugar.

OK, but the way you spell brah, you might want to start watching yourself.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Dakine10

[Niels Bohr 72]

Speaking of Mall Cop. I went into a huge mall the day after Christmas. I notice that they have the same scooters just like in the move, Mall Cop. I saw the security guy taking it for a spin through the mall. I couldn't help but gave a smirk.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Niels Bohr

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

An open letter from Satan to Pat Robertson

Re: Haiti

Dear Pat Robertson,

I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action.

But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished.

Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"?

If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll.

You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract.

Best, Satan

[az110965 252]

Ok,

Being that I was the OP I want to clear up some misconceptions that have occurred since starting this thread a few days ago...

First of all, my fingers were quick to type when I heard that President Obama was granting immuinity to Haitians after the tragedy last week. The initial report I heard was that President Obama had granted permanent immunity from deportation to Hatians (who had illegally entered the USA) based upon the collapse of the Hatian infurstructure. As has been pointed out by some folks here - President Obama has granted TEMPORARY immunity from deportation and a protected status in our country. What this will mean long term I'm not sure, because I've heard on CNN that it will be YEARS until Haiti is restored to any sense of normalcy.

So - that being said, I guess I should learn to get all my facts straight before typing my opinion, and to those of you who have friends, family members or loved ones who were affected by the tragedy I sincerely apologize if my words casused you any pain or anguish. It was not my intention to cause anguish to these people, I was merely trying to report what I had heard.

Since excercising my right to voice my opinion I've been accused on this forum of being soul-less, unintelligent, non-caring and many other nouns - matter of fact I was basically told by one poster that they hope my K-1 petition is never approved. Everyone who posts here has a right to their opinion and as such I did not retaliate in a personal manner to those who attacked me personally, I read their posts and their PM's and never responded in a personal manner.

So, now let me qualify my statement. Feel free to condemn me once again...

The fact remains that those who entered the USA illegally will reap the benefit of the TPS that President Obama has bestowed upon them (at least for the forseeable future). I would not have issue with mass immigration of Hatians to escape the devestation of the tragedy that they've endured since the earthquake last week, but the people who've benefited from the temporary protection order are the one's that came here PRIOR to the earthquake. These people entered the country illegally and while it's true (as one poster stated) there is no place to send them home to, the folks who TRULY are suffering are not afforded the same status as the folks who came here illegally. I find it sad that the people who came here the WRONG way are protected while the people who are starving and bleeding in Haiti will continue to do so until aid arrives.

SO, that's how I feel. I'll take my lumps for voicing my opinion last week without having all the facts, but something just seems wrong to me about innocent people suffering while those who came illegally are living amongst our citizens with no fear of being held responsible for their actions.

Alan

[Jay & Beverly 0]

Ok,

Being that I was the OP I want to clear up some misconceptions that have occurred since starting this thread a few days ago...

First of all, my fingers were quick to type when I heard that President Obama was granting immuinity to Haitians after the tragedy last week. The initial report I heard was that President Obama had granted permanent immunity from deportation to Hatians (who had illegally entered the USA) based upon the collapse of the Hatian infurstructure. As has been pointed out by some folks here - President Obama has granted TEMPORARY immunity from deportation and a protected status in our country. What this will mean long term I'm not sure, because I've heard on CNN that it will be YEARS until Haiti is restored to any sense of normalcy.

So - that being said, I guess I should learn to get all my facts straight before typing my opinion, and to those of you who have friends, family members or loved ones who were affected by the tragedy I sincerely apologize if my words casused you any pain or anguish. It was not my intention to cause anguish to these people, I was merely trying to report what I had heard.

Since excercising my right to voice my opinion I've been accused on this forum of being soul-less, unintelligent, non-caring and many other nouns - matter of fact I was basically told by one poster that they hope my K-1 petition is never approved. Everyone who posts here has a right to their opinion and as such I did not retaliate in a personal manner to those who attacked me personally, I read their posts and their PM's and never responded in a personal manner.

So, now let me qualify my statement. Feel free to condemn me once again...

The fact remains that those who entered the USA illegally will reap the benefit of the TPS that President Obama has bestowed upon them (at least for the forseeable future). I would not have issue with mass immigration of Hatians to escape the devestation of the tragedy that they've endured since the earthquake last week, but the people who've benefited from the temporary protection order are the one's that came here PRIOR to the earthquake. These people entered the country illegally and while it's true (as one poster stated) there is no place to send them home to, the folks who TRULY are suffering are not afforded the same status as the folks who came here illegally. I find it sad that the people who came here the WRONG way are protected while the people who are starving and bleeding in Haiti will continue to do so until aid arrives.

SO, that's how I feel. I'll take my lumps for voicing my opinion last week without having all the facts, but something just seems wrong to me about innocent people suffering while those who came illegally are living amongst our citizens with no fear of being held responsible for their actions.

Alan

Alan --

I highlighted a few things from your latest note. I, too, would have been insulted if this was going to be some sort of end-around the legal journey that we're all on with our significant others.

The thing that bothered me about your original post and also this post is how you wrote things (self-admittedly) in your own opinion. While I value the everyone having their own opinion the most frustrating thing that I find with people in these forums is that they don't base their opinions on fact. And sometimes how they color their opinion puts a totally different spin on things. While you feel you have right to your opinion, you have a greater responsibility to ensure that your opinion is also right on the money.

Had you taken the time to read and comprehend what you were reading, this thread wouldn't even exist. Someone else published a link on your behalf to the AP story (http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=193870) and I read it before formulating my own thoughts. The first few paragraphs in the AP piece are as follows:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration said Friday it will allow Haitians who were already in the U.S. illegally to remain for the time being because of their country's catastrophic earthquake.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano granted the temporary protected status on Friday

, two days after she temporarily halted deportations of Haitians, even those already in detention. The protection is only available to Haitians already in the country as of last Tuesday,

and allows them to stay and work for

18 months

.

Napolitano told reporters that the temporary legal status is an act of compassion.

"It's a horrible thing that has happened to Haiti," the secretary said.

Temporary protected status is granted to foreigners who may not be able to return safely to their country because of a natural disaster, armed conflict or other reasons.

What irritates me about both of your posts is the lack of understanding what was meant but what you heard reported first. Perhaps even worse is we all accept what is being reported as fact. The decision to grant the temporary protection status is based on Federal regulations that were put into law years and years ago. Had you read all the posts in this thread you would have seen where another contributor provided a link to the the actual CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) that makes this possible.

Whether we choose to believe it our not, modern day broadcasting of the news moves at such a fast pace just to get a scoop over the competition that not all facts are prepared or verified for accuracy 100% of the time before a story is reported. What makes matters worse is that I've yet to see retractions or admissions of errors when follow-up items are covered. Anyone viewing a 24-hour news network can tune in and hear a snippet of a story (like you did) and might and form an opinion based on incorrect info. The people at the anchor desk are reading copy prepared by editors and producers that may have have already been edited multiple times just to get the story pared down to a few brief lines of text. Too often facts are lost in translation. In your defense, even in the AP story linked above they start out by saying something very misleading by using the phrase: "the Obama administration". Many people will read that and be up in arms thinking (like you did) that President Obama chose to do something unprecedented and open the flood gates for illegal aliens when factually, a pre-existing regulation authorizes the US GOVERNMENT regardless of what administration is in office to invoke the temporary stay. Responsible journalism would not make it sound as if this was a partisan decision.

I don't want to condemn you, but I do want you be a compelled to at least fact check your opinions before sharing them and do you part to provide a source that backs up the points you're trying to make.

Separately... I want to applaud and praise you for coming back and taking ownership of your original post. I do get a sense from your follow-up post that you are compassionate towards the people suffering in Haiti. I think you and I both agree that that it is unfortunate that there are people suffering in their country while people from there are here illegally will be given a reprieve from deportation. The link from above mentions that there are 30,000 Haitians with orders to leave of probably 200,000 Haitians here illegally. As someone working the legal channels to bring my fiance to the US I've grown jaded by towards those here illegally. That being said, I agree fully with pausing the deportation of those 30,000 people at this time as it would be inhumane. Due to the devastation from the earthquake there are already 200,000+ dead and that number will surely continue to grow from secondary causes like infections and disease.

With much respect to you --

Jay

[sjr09 155]

Alan --

I highlighted a few things from your latest note. I, too, would have been insulted if this was going to be some sort of end-around the legal journey that we're all on with our significant others.

The thing that bothered me about your original post and also this post is how you wrote things (self-admittedly) in your own opinion. While I value the everyone having their own opinion the most frustrating thing that I find with people in these forums is that they don't base their opinions on fact. And sometimes how they color their opinion puts a totally different spin on things. While you feel you have right to your opinion, you have a greater responsibility to ensure that your opinion is also right on the money.

Had you taken the time to read and comprehend what you were reading, this thread wouldn't even exist. Someone else published a link on your behalf to the AP story (http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=193870) and I read it before formulating my own thoughts. The first few paragraphs in the AP piece are as follows:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration said Friday it will allow Haitians who were already in the U.S. illegally to remain for the time being because of their country's catastrophic earthquake.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano granted the temporary protected status on Friday

, two days after she temporarily halted deportations of Haitians, even those already in detention. The protection is only available to Haitians already in the country as of last Tuesday,

and allows them to stay and work for

18 months

.

Then, instead of removing these aliens when their TPS status expires, the U.S. government has repeatedly extended their TPS status, often for years. (

The Miami Herald

, January 14, 2010). In the case of Salvadoran nationals, for example, the crisis that triggered the granting of TPS status occurred more than a decade ago. (

Stein Report

, January 14, 2010). Now, more than 300,000 people from seven countries, including El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Sudan, currently live in the U.S. with TPS status. (

ABC

News, January 15, 2010;

National Journal

, January 13, 2010).

In addition to its potential for encouraging a new wave of refugees, the decision to grant TPS status is controversial because the program has been abused to the point where critics call it a form of amnesty. TPS was designed to provide temporary refuge for aliens whose personal safety would be endangered by returning to their home country for reasons which include ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. (INA § 244, 8 U.S.C. 1254a). The U.S. government, however, has made a practice of granting TPS status to illegal aliens in addition to legal aliens—aliens who have broken our laws and never had any intention of leaving the U.S. anyway.

Napolitano told reporters that the temporary legal status is an act of compassion.

"It's a horrible thing that has happened to Haiti," the secretary said.

Temporary protected status is granted to foreigners who may not be able to return safely to their country because of a natural disaster, armed conflict or other reasons.

What irritates me about both of your posts is the lack of understanding what was meant but what you heard reported first. Perhaps even worse is we all accept what is being reported as fact. The decision to grant the temporary protection status is based on Federal regulations that were put into law years and years ago. Had you read all the posts in this thread you would have seen where another contributor provided a link to the the actual CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) that makes this possible.

Whether we choose to believe it our not, modern day broadcasting of the news moves at such a fast pace just to get a scoop over the competition that not all facts are prepared or verified for accuracy 100% of the time before a story is reported. What makes matters worse is that I've yet to see retractions or admissions of errors when follow-up items are covered. Anyone viewing a 24-hour news network can tune in and hear a snippet of a story (like you did) and might and form an opinion based on incorrect info. The people at the anchor desk are reading copy prepared by editors and producers that may have have already been edited multiple times just to get the story pared down to a few brief lines of text. Too often facts are lost in translation. In your defense, even in the AP story linked above they start out by saying something very misleading by using the phrase: "the Obama administration". Many people will read that and be up in arms thinking (like you did) that President Obama chose to do something unprecedented and open the flood gates for illegal aliens when factually, a pre-existing regulation authorizes the US GOVERNMENT regardless of what administration is in office to invoke the temporary stay. Responsible journalism would not make it sound as if this was a partisan decision.

I don't want to condemn you, but I do want you be a compelled to at least fact check your opinions before sharing them and do you part to provide a source that backs up the points you're trying to make.

Separately... I want to applaud and praise you for coming back and taking ownership of your original post. I do get a sense from your follow-up post that you are compassionate towards the people suffering in Haiti. I think you and I both agree that that it is unfortunate that there are people suffering in their country while people from there are here illegally will be given a reprieve from deportation. The link from above mentions that there are 30,000 Haitians with orders to leave of probably 200,000 Haitians here illegally. As someone working the legal channels to bring my fiance to the US I've grown jaded by towards those here illegally. That being said, I agree fully with pausing the deportation of those 30,000 people at this time as it would be inhumane. Due to the devastation from the earthquake there are already 200,000+ dead and that number will surely continue to grow from secondary causes like infections and disease.

With much respect to you --

Jay

[sjr09 155]

Center for Immigration Studies

Temporary protection for foreigners in distress has figured prominently in discussions of immigration policy for some time. Hondurans, Kosovar Albanians, and Colombians are only the most recent groups considered for some kind of limited safe haven. Temporary protection amounts to a limited grant of refugee status, offering foreigners who would not otherwise be allowed to remain in the United States limited sanctuary until an emergency (civil war, widespread violence, or natural disaster) in their home country passes. For the most part, temporary protection has been offered to aliens already in the United States, usually illegally, who do not qualify for asylum but whom we are unwilling to deport.

As attractive as temporary protection seems on the surface, there is an enormous, and unbridgeable, gap between the theory and the reality. Forty years of experience have shown that "temporary" protection (almost) always results in permanent settlement. Whatever the theoretical benefits of temporary protection, it is clear that in the real world there is nothing as permanent as a temporary refugee.

<H2 id=title>'Temporary' Status for Haitians</H2>By Mark Krikorian, January 13, 2010 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was invented precisely for cases like Haiti today — when a natural disaster is so devastating that illegal immigrants from that country temporarily can't be deported. And there are already several members of Congress calling on the administration to grant TPS, and rightly so.

But the earthquake is also an argument for why we need to fix TPS — it's a necessary tool, but as currently structured it functions as a permanent amnesty for anyone "lucky" enough to come from a country that suffers a natural (or even man-made) disaster. As far as I've been able to determine, not a single person who has ever been granted this "temporary" status has later been deported.

This is why open-borders groups have been pushing for TPS for Haitians for years, long before the earthquake, simply as a means to amnesty the 30,000 Haitian illegals who already have deportation orders (not to mention the thousands of others who haven't been caught — in 2000, the INS estimated 76,000 Haitian illegals). The Obami have been resisting (just as the Bushies resisted) granting TPS because of the real possibility that it would precipitate new waves of boat people. There's little question TPS will be granted now, but there's also little chance this administration will want to phase it out eventually unless they face oversight by Congress and the public

[sjr09 155]

2009

30,000 Haitians have been ordered to leave the U.S., after a temporary halt in deportations had made many hopeful they would be granted temporary stays.Haiti has reacted by blocking the deportations through a simple measure: it is not processing travel documents for its citizens, leaving some 600 of them in immigration detention centers in the U.S.

The Sun-Sentinel’s Luis F. Pérez and Georgia East reported,

Haiti took the stand after a series of brutal storms lashed the island last summer and after repeatedly asking the United States for, and being denied, what’s known as temporary protected status. The status would allow Haitians in this country illegally to stay and work temporarily.

Haitian officials say the country needs to rebuild and can’t handle the return of its citizens.

As a result, the newspaper noted, deportations have dropped from 156 a month to about 17 a month since October.

[Dacko 0]

Here's the latest.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/h...ry/1436831.html

There is no need to feel bad if you are angry at this whole situation.

The most insulting aspect, is that the USCIS is preparing to work the books and move the paperwork very fast. All the rest of us have to stand in line.

The Obama administration is preparing to handle applications from as many as 200,000 undocumented Haitian immigrants who want to live and work legally in the United States under a new immigration program unveiled last week in the aftermath of Haiti's destructive earthquake.

USCIS officials said they are increasing staffs at various offices and service centers where applications are processed to expedite decisions.

The goal is to fast-track work permits for applicants, delivering them within 90 days or sooner, said USCIS' Mayorkas. TPS applicants typically wait six months.

``All applications will be treated as urgent,'' he said.

what about us, USCIS?

[Mononoke28 135]

For anyone who is interested or has a family member/friend who's a Hatian national:

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) - Haiti

And to the OP... send them back to Haiti??!! To what? To live among the dead? To live in a tent? To starve? To die?

Geez.

Diana

Edited January 22, 2010 by Mononoke28

[sjr09 155]

Here's the latest.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/h...ry/1436831.html

There is no need to feel bad if you are angry at this whole situation.

The most insulting aspect, is that the USCIS is preparing to work the books and move the paperwork very fast. All the rest of us have to stand in line.

The Obama administration is preparing to handle applications from as many as 200,000 undocumented Haitian immigrants who want to live and work legally in the United States under a new immigration program unveiled last week in the aftermath of Haiti's destructive earthquake.

USCIS officials said they are increasing staffs at various offices and service centers where applications are processed to expedite decisions.

The goal is to fast-track work permits for applicants, delivering them within 90 days or sooner, said USCIS' Mayorkas. TPS applicants typically wait six months.

``All applications will be treated as urgent,'' he said.

what about us, USCIS?

100,000-200,000 within 90 days or sooner, right, the goverment can't fast track their #### out of a paper sack, with one end open.

You will be on the fast track as well, too the back of the line.

[Robby999 1,024]

I hope Obama can fast track some jobs to go with all the work permits! I am not sure where the majority of illegal Haitian's live, but Florida's unemployment rate is about 11.5% now and expected to hit 12% very soon.

[sjr09 155]

For anyone who is interested or has a family member/friend who's a Hatian national:

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) - Haiti

And to the OP... send them back to Haiti??!! To what? To live among the dead? To live in a tent? To starve? To die?

Geez.

Diana

So what about the citizens that are fleeing their country, they will try to enter the US by boat. After Jan 12, the US government will send them back, to what, live among the dead to live in tent’s, to starve or die? The real fact is the Haiti government could care less about it’s on citizens and needs take ownership and responsibility of there own people. Hopefully with the aid and help from many others they will, but probably or the true reality will not.