Haitian men separated from families under tightening immigration rules

A sudden change in the US immigration policy has resulted in the division of several Haitian families. This has separated husbands from wives and fathers from children.  The men are left stranded in Mexico even as their families are being allowed to come to the US.

The separation of the families seems to be an unintentional consequence of the Obama administration efforts to tighten border security against the influx of the thousands of Haitians that are streaming north, from Brazil towards the US. Until recently, Haitians had been allowed by the US to enter the country without US visas via a temporary humanitarian parole. This was granted in 2010, following the island’s devastating earthquake.

However, on 22 September, in the middle of a major increase in the number of Haitians in Brazil believed to be headed to the US to try to find work, the Obama administration announced that it would resume deporting Haitians who arrived at border crossings with no immigration documents. This change in policy has slammed the door on new undocumented Haitian immigrants, including many men whose families have already been allowed to enter.

Immigration advocates in San Diego claim that there are more than 50 families in the city who have been separated as a result of the change in policy. They have appealed to officials with the Department of Homeland Security to assist with reuniting those families in the US.