MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Activists in Miami-Dade County met on Friday to announce they are asking President Joe Biden’s administration to help Haitian refugees who are rushing to the U.S. border.
Haiti’s humanitarian crisis during the coronavirus pandemic follows the earthquake and the political instability after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
Thousands of migrants are waiting to seek asylum in Del Rio, Texas. To stay out of the burning heat, they are camping under the international bridge.
“These individuals are waiting to be detained.” Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano said.
Leroy Jones, a lead organizer with the Circle of Brotherhood, said some of the refugees are having to sleep outside without shelter, medical supplies, water, or food.
“The U.S. is the most powerful nation in the world; it can do anything it wants — starting by letting them in,” said Marleine Bastien, the executive director of the Family Action Network Movement.
The U.S. Border Patrol is outnumbered and the detention centers are at capacity. Officials said it could take 10 to 14 days before those migrants are processed.
A group of Democrats sent a letter to the Biden administration asking to stop deportations to Haiti. Haitians who were granted Temporary Protected Status will be protected for 18 months starting in May.
“The Haitian government’s ability to safely receive its citizens will take months, if not years, to secure,” lawmakers wrote.