HomeMy Public PortalAbout10-8073 Homeland Security Sponsored by: Mayor Kelley
RESOLUTION NO. 10-8073
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF OPA-LOCKA, FLORIDA, URGING PRESIDENT
OBAMA AND DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
SECRETARY JANET NAPOLITANO TO PROMPTLY PAROLE
INTO THE UNITED STATES ALL HAITAN BENEFICIARIES OF
APPROVED IMMIGRANT VISA PETITIONS AND PERMIT
THEM TO LEGALLY WORK ING THE UNITED STATES,AND
TO EXPEDITE CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF ALL
PENDING BUT NOT YET APPROVED IMMIGRANT VISA
PETITIONS; PROVIDING FOR INCORPORATION OF
RECITALS; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, on January 12,2010,Haiti was devastated by an unprecedented 7.0 Richter Scale
earthquake which has killed at least 250,000 people, left millions homeless and injured, and destroyed
important Haitian government international institutional resources and infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, Haiti is the western hemisphere's poorest nation and one of the poorest in the
world; and
WHEREAS, on January 14, 2010, President Obama said that the disaster in Haiti "is one of
those moments that call out for America's leadership"; and
WHEREAS, it is a policy of the United States to expeditiously assist Haiti's people and
government to rebuild and recover from this catastrophe; and
WHEREAS, the Haitian Diaspora is mainly in the United States and remits about $2 billion
dollars annually, which is crucial to the welfare and survival of Haitians and to Haiti's welfare; and
WHEREAS, such capital flow is by far the largest source of foreign aid to Haiti and more
important to Haitians per capita, than to any other nation in the world; and
WHEREAS, prior to the January 12, 2010 earthquake, the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security ("DHS") had approved the immigrant visa petitions of 55,000 Haitian beneficiaries now
languishing unnecessarily in devastated Haiti until their priority dates become current, which is
estimated to take anywhere from six to twelve years; and
WHEREAS,there are legal ways for the Administration to promptly parole these 55,000 Haitian
beneficiaries which are already approved entry into the United States; and
WHEREAS,doing so would reunite families,provide for orderly migration,ease the burden on
Haiti's overwhelmed government without cost the United States; and
WHEREAS,Haitians working in the United States send monetary remittances which is essential
to the Haitian welfare; and
WHEREAS, if allowed to work in the United States, the 55,000 beneficiaries would send
remittances to Haiti supporting an estimated 550,000 thousand to one million persons in Haiti; and
WHEREAS,Haiti's prompt recovery and the survival of its democracy are of great security to
the United States given Haiti's proximity and our large Haitian-American population; and
WHEREAS, paroling the 55,000 Haitian approved beneficiaries into the United States and
allowing them to work is the simplest,most effective way to help Haiti recover from the catastrophe now
being suffered; and
WHEREAS,DHS has humanitarian parole authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act
("INA") under Section 212(d)(5)(A)to expeditiously parole into the United States persons for"urgent
humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit"; and
WHEREAS,the United States has brought hundreds of thousands of Indochinese,Cuban, and
Kosovo refugees, among others, into the United States when it was deemed it to be in the interests of
national security; and
WHEREAS,although no congressional action is needed for DHS to exercise its humanitarian
parole authority under the NA, the Haitian Emergency Life Protection Act of 2010 ("HELP Act"), S.
2998 and H.R. 4616, currently pending legislation, would grant V visas to bring these Haitian
beneficiaries into the United States; and
WHEREAS,the Obama Administration has been urged to promptly parole the 55,000 Haitian
beneficiaries of approved immigrant visa petitions by the editorial board of the Washington Post in their
editorial, "The U.S. should welcome Haitians in," January 29, 2010
(http//www/washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012803513.html); and
WHEREAS, the editorial board of the Miami Herald followed suit in its lead editorial, "U.S.
must lead in Haiti's recovery,"March 22,2010,http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/22/1540946/us-
must-lead-in-haitis-recovery-htm; and
WHEREAS, Secretary Napolitano was urged to parole in the 55,000 by House or
Representatives Chairpersons Conyers(Judiciary),Berman(Foreign Affairs),and Lofgren(immigration
subcommittee), Rep. Yvette Clark, South Florida's Republican Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and Mario Diaz-Balart, and by Rep. Anh Cao of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS,the same relief was urged in a March 12,2010 letter to Secretary Napolitano by 74
National and international organizations and eight other individuals, at
https://advocacy.hias.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=56 ; and
WHEREAS, the same relief was urged on February 2, 2010, in a Huffington Post op-ed by
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HAIS) Senior Vice President Mark Hetfield, at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-hetfield/preventing-migratin-afte b 446591.html; and
WHEREAS,as President Reagan's Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Elliot
Abrams,who also served as President George W.Bush's Deputy National Security Advisor,wrote in his
Washington Post op-ed, "what Haiti Needs: A Haitian Diaspora," January 22, 2010 at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/21/AR2010012103508htm1,"A larger
Haitian Diaspora would be a far better base for the country's economic future than aid pledges"because
their "remittances to Haiti would give its economy a huge and continuing jolt," and "One of the best
ways to help Haiti is to allow some Haitians to move aboard"because"Migration would mean that Haiti
needs to provide fewer hospital beds,schools,meals and jobs—and migrants' remittances will be key to
Haiti's economic recovery for decades to come,"and President Obama"should be asking Congress ...to
allow a significant increase in the number of Haitians legally admitted to the United States—to several
times the roughly 25,000 per year in the past decade. ... There are no panaceas for Haiti's recovery,but
any sensible approach must include migration from the island. If the United States is committed to
giving Haiti hope for the future, enlarging the Haitian Diaspora is a surefire way to succeed"; and
WHEREAS,paroling the 55,000 Haitian beneficiaries would meet this goal by increasing legal
migration to ease the recovery burden on Haiti's overwhelmed government and speeding the flow of
remittances to as many as one million Haitians in need of food, shelter, and sustenance following the
earthquake;
WHEREAS,Haiti's rainy season is underway,causing misery to millions made homeless by the
earthquake,and will be followed by Haiti's hurricane season;further catastrophes threaten;and there is
no time to lose in using every way to help Haiti recover; and
WHEREAS,immigrant visa petitions for a further 19,000 Haitian beneficiaries are pending
but not yet been approved; and
WHEREAS,helping neighbors and succoring the needy are in the highest traditions and
values of the United States.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMIVIISSION OF THE
CITY OF OPA LOCKA,FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals to the preamble herein are incorporated by reference.
Section 2. The Mayor and City Commission of the City of Opa-locka, Florida, hereby urge
President Obama and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to promptly parole
into the United States all Haitian beneficiaries of approved immigrant visa petitions and to permit them
to work legally in the United States,and to expedite consideration and approval of all pending but not yet
approved immigrant visa petitions.
Section 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 26th DAY OF May,2010.
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-O . KELLEY
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Attest to: A► roved :. to + a 11 u 11 'ency:
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Deborah S. Irb Jo n�,'�ir e e 1
City Clerk C t; • tt,I rney
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Moved By: JOHNSON
I Seconded by: HOLMES
Commission Vote: 5-0
Commissioner Holmes: YES
Commissioner Johnson: YES
Commissioner Tydus: YES
Commissioner Taylor: YES
Mayor Kelly: YES