Speech #960183938

I find it outrageous that the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service would utilize such a flawed report in attempting to justify a callous government policy of deportation for Haitian political refugees. The Immigration and Naturalization Service is also known for its exclusion of minorities from policymaking positions and indeed the resignation of Commissioner Leonel Castillo confronts the Service with the same crisis of credibility that is faced by the State Department. The present capability of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to administer our laws fairly when it comes to people of color from the Third World is suspect. The treatment of Haitian refugees is a case in point. The Congressional Black Caucus Task Force on Haitian refugees is now publicly reinforcing Chairperson CHISHOLMS letter of July 24. 1979. to President Carter in which she requested the President to intervene to bring about due process and humane treatment for the Haitian refugees. The Congressional Black Caucus Tasi Force will be continuing to work on this issue with others such as the Haitian refugee project. the Haitian Fathers of Brooklyn. the American Committee for the Protection of the Foreign Born. the National Council of Churches. the National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees. the National Urban League. the Archdiocese of Miami. the American Civil Liberties Union and the A. Philip Randolph Institute. We join Senator DIcK STONE of Florida and our distinguished colleague and man of conscience. Congressman WILLIAM LEHMAN. in calling for parole and asylum for those Haitian refugees here in our country. We will be insisting and monitoring our Governments conduct to insure due process for these Haitian refugees. who may flee to our shores in the future and we are committed to a new refugee act which will allow us to have a human rights policy which is free of ideological. racial. or class bias. Our Nations honor and its interests demands no less.