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Posted on Thu, Sep. 19, 2002 in
The Miami Herald.
Give credit to the Immigration and Naturalization for its decision to
release nine Cuban asylum seekers who had been detained by the agency's district
in Buffalo, N.Y.
The nine were part of a Cuban church group attending Catholic world youth
events in Toronto when they defected. In August, they crossed the border into
the United States in three separate groups.
All of them surrendered to INS authorities, asked for asylum and were found
to have a credible fear of persecution if returned to Cuba. Though all had U.S.
sponsors, and none presented a threat to the community, local INS authorities
kept them locked up. That's contrary to established norms for Cuban refugees.
Frankly, it makes no sense to detain people who will be eligible for permanent
residency within a year under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
The nine detained Cubans were featured by The Herald this week in a Metro
Section article and an editorial. After learning about their cases, INS
Commissioner James Ziglar ordered a review. That review led to the release
decision -- and a swift righting of a wrong.
Now the INS should do the same and release Haitian asylum seekers who are
unjustly being detained pending their hearings.
A clarification
Yesterday's editorial Release Cuban refugees contained a paragraph that
should have read: "INS officials in Buffalo, N.Y., say that the Cubans are
deportable to Canada and are jailing them until their asylum hearings, which
could take months. This is wrong.'' | 
