Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Acts on Haiti Deportations
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has granted an emergency petition for precautionary measures against the United States asking for the suspension of deportations to Haiti. The petition was granted on behalf of five Haitian men detained in Louisiana with final orders of removal. The basis of the petition was that the United States would be violating human rights obligations by deporting anyone to Haiti at the present time. The decision builds on the Commission’s prior decisions in Mortlock v. US, Inter-Am., C.H.R. Report no. 63/08, Case No. 12/534 andSmith & Armendariz v. U.S., Inter-Am., C.H.R., Report No. 81/10, Case No. 12.562 (July 12, 2010).
A copy of the petition and more information can be found here. The request for precautionary measures was filed by the University of Miami School of Law’s Human Rights and Immigration Clinics, Center for Constitutional Rights, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Alternative Chance, and Loyola Law Clinic & Center for Social Justice on January 6, 2011.
Tragically, the U.S. government deported 27 men back to Haiti on January 20. All of the deportees were jailed in horrific conditions upon arrival in Haiti pursuant to Haiti’s longstanding policy. One deportee, Wildrick Guerrier, age 34, fell severely ill while in detention and died after a week in jail.
KJ