Speech #980089050

He has an international reputation as a poet and as an opponent of apartheid. the system of racial separation. At the present time. Professsor Brutus is awaiting the decision of a deportation hearing which was held in Chicago last month. If the court orders him deported the consequences could be disastrous. Leaving the United States could actually jeopardize his life. Professor Brutus last entered the United States on February 25. 1980. in order to continue his teaching assignment at Northwestern University. His visa status at that time was classified and approved by the Immigration and Naturalization Service as Hi. that is. "a person of distinguished merit or ability." Such visas are granted for a period not to exceed 1 year. and are renewable for increments of 1 year thereafter at the discretion of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. At the time of his entry. Dennis Brutus. a native of Rhodesia. carried a British passport. In the spring of 1980 Rhodesia was granted independence and became Zimbabwe. At that time Britain canceled all passports that had been issued to natives of Rhodesia. Professor Brutus was unaware of this passport change until he applied for an extension of his visa at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Chicago during January 1981. By the time the new Government of Zimbabwe had issued a passport to Brutus. he was late in applying for the extension of his H1 visa. During this period. Professor Brutus honored his commitment to Northwestern University. and he continued to teach in accordance with the terms of his contract. This decision placed him in violation of the Immigration and Naturalization Act which prohibits a nonresident alien from working without a valid visa. This violation can only be remedied by returning to Zimbabwe and reapplying for a visa. Dennis Brutus and his supporters fear that should he be forced to return to Zimbabwe. he will become a target for assassination because of the lifelong battle that he has waged against racism and apartheid. While this danger may be impossible to assess. we must keep in mind that another black critic of apartheid.