Blacks want stronger stand on Haiti-Dominican conflict

A U.S. coalition of black activists and immigrants, Rights4AllInDR, are putting pressure on Obama to take a tougher stance regarding the Dominican Republic's (DR) immigration policy, which has made Haitian migrants and their Dominican-born children stateless. The protests of R4ADR are driven by the DR's resolution to deny previously uncontested citizenship to undocumented immigrants' offspring. Even Haitians with Dominican bloodlines are being denied citizenship rights.

The international community believes racism the reason behind the DR's Constitutional Court ruling in 2013, retroactively making Haitian migrants, their Dominican-born children, and children of Haitian-Dominican unions stateless. In other words, Haitians are black and therefore inferior.

Two viewpoints regarding the DR situation are being advanced. Black Alliance for Just Immigration Executive Director, Tometi, wants to pressure the DR to change its immigration policy with a tourism boycott. She adds, "We are . . . encouraging others to stand with Dominicans of Haitian descent . . ."

Association of Haitian Professionals spokesperson, Françoise, takes a different tack: "Our approach is really holding the U.S. government accountable" She continues she doesn't understand why Obama, on a state visit to Ethiopia, talked to them about human rights, but remains silent about the DR's. James Brewster, U.S. Ambassador to the DR, counters the U.S. has repeatedly encouraged the DR to deal with the immigrant crisis humanely. However, the DR cancelled its membership in the International Court of Human Rights, so it no longer has any jurisdiction over the DR.

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