After a two-month pause, immigration authorities will resume the deportations of Haitians who have been convicted of crimes in the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began deporting Haitians in January, removing 27 that month, but stopped after one deportee died of choleralike symptoms shortly after arriving in Haiti and others fell ill. In new guidelines issued last Friday, the agency said it would limit deportations mainly to Haitians convicted of violent crimes and repeat offenders, who had also been ordered removed by an immigration court. Agency officials said they would not place a priority on deporting Haitian criminals who require medical treatment in this country. Catholic advocates said many of the first deportees had served their sentences and had been living without incident for years. The agency suspended the deportations after a Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.
- © 2011 The New York Times Company . Reprinted from The New York Times, National, of Thursday, April 7, 2011.