These include Haitians who applied for asylum before 1995. The measure had been approved by a House committee on September 28.
Last year Congress passed a bill that is supposed to grant residency to some 150,000 Nicaraguans and other benefits to Guatemalan, Salvadoran, and Eastern European immigrants.
After Haitians were excluded from that bill, several major demonstrations were organized in Miami in protest. The largest drew more than 5,000 people, mostly Haitians, and others involved up to 3,000. At least one demonstration demanding equal treatment for Haitian immigrants was also held in Washington, D.C.
In a letter to the editors of the Miami Herald on October 9 Marlene Bastien from the group Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miami (Haitian Women of Miami) explained, "If the bill does not pass, hundreds of Haitian families that for years have lived, worked, paid taxes, bought property, and developed businesses here will face deportation to Haiti, a country struggling to maintain its fragile economy. Things in Haiti are even worse now after Hurricane Georges, which created havoc and widespread devastation."
Several days before the latest government move against Haitians living in the U.S. about 350 people, overwhelmingly Haitians, demonstrated in Little Haiti.
They chanted "What do we want? -Equal treatment," and "When do we want it? - Now!" and in Creole "Nou campe dwat, nou pa fe bak, fok nou jwen green card" (We stand strong, we won't go back, we must get our green cards). The crowd closed 54th Street for two blocks as they carried candles and marched up and down the street.
The demonstration was announced on several Haitian radio programs. Many people heard about it that same day and some drove from other cities to attend the protest.
"We have been working hard for 12 months," said Jean- Robert Lafortune, leader of the Haitian Immigration Task Force Grassroots Coalition. "But we need to continue. It's time to take the battle into our hands and not wait for other people."
The Socialist Workers candidate for governor of Florida, Ernest Mailhot said that "the only reason Congress is discussing the bill is because of demonstrations like this one. Both the Democrats and Republicans are responsible for the denial of residency to Haitian immigrants," he said.
"We not only call for residency status for the 40,000 Haitians who may be covered by this bill but for full rights and equality for all immigrants" stated Mailhot. The Socialist Workers campaign calls for the immediate end of all deportations.