Resolved, That the Executive Council hereby endorse the following resolution concerning Haitian Refugees which was passed by the National Council of Churches of Christ Governing Board on November 2, 1978:
Whereas, The Governing Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. in its "Resolution in Support of Haitian Refugees" of February 28, 1974, expressed its profound disquiet for what appears to be a fundamental violation of U.S. due process of law; and
Whereas, The Immigration and Naturalization Service INS, Department of Justice, in November, 1977, conceded: (1) the right to full evidentiary hearings on asylum claims for exclusion proceedings, (2) release without bond for those still in detention, and (3) temporary work authorization for all Haitian asylum claimants; and
Whereas, In contravention to these concessions, the INS Miami District Office has:
(1) withdrawn all work authorizations, (2) conducted exclusion and deportation hearings at the rate of 150 per day precluding legal counsel in many cases, (3) refused access not only to lawyers but to resident Haitians and priests to the court waiting rooms where they had been advising the Haitians of their right to counsel and (4) are returning newly arrived Haitians to Haiti without benefit of legal counsel under pretext of obtaining voluntary departure agreements; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. hereby:
- Directs the General Secretary to express to the President of the United States, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State and the appropriate members of the Congress, the urgent need for:
- an immediate moratorium on the Haitian refugee hearings, which are being conducted at such an expanded rate that adequate legal defense is not possible, and on the deportations and "voluntary departures" prior to adequate hearings and access to legal counsel;
- the granting of parole for the purpose of political asylum to those Haitian asylum applicants currently resident in the United States; and
- the guarantee of due process for those Haitians who come in the future.
- Calls upon its member communions to:
- make similar statements of concern in view of the likelihood that only through a collective expression of public protest will these violations be corrected; and
- file supporting statements for the official complaint being filed by the Division of Overseas Ministries of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission of the Organization of American States regarding these violations of the human rights of Haitian refugees by the United States.
