‘A direct attack': South Florida leaders blast travel ban for Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba
South Florida leaders on Thursday denounced the Trump administration's travel ban targeting Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela, crisis-wracked nations that are among 19 countries hit with full or partial prohibitions against entering the United States.
'This is not only a cruel and xenophobic policy proposal – it is a blatant attempt to scapegoat an already suffering people. This unjust policy will sow chaos in our communities, separating families and disrupting lives,' said Marleine Bastien, a Haiti-born Miami-Dade County commissioner who represents one of the largest Haitian communities in the U.S.
Bastien noted that the Haitian-American community is 'a cornerstone of Miami-Dade County, contributing to its culture, economy and strength.
'Targeting Haiti in this manner is not just only discriminatory, but a betrayal of the values America claims to uphold – compassion, justice, and opportunity for all,' she said, slamming the administration's recent immigration directives stripping Haitian migrants in the U.S. of immigration protections.
On Thursday, there was still confusion among holders of current U.S. visas who are in Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela about whether they would be let in as of Monday when the travel ban takes effect.
Still, South Florida elected officials emphasized the harm the policy would create in the communities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, which of which boast sizable and thriving populations with roots in Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela.
North Miami Mayor Alex Desulme said his city's Haitian population aren't just residents. They are small-business owners, healthcare workers, educators and parents raising young children. South Florida boasts one of the largest Haitian diasporas in the United States.
'The reinstatement of this ban is a direct attack on the values of equity, compassion and opportunity that our city and this nation were built upon. It causes fear, separates families, disrupts lives and unfairly targets communities that have long contributed to the country's strength and prosperity,' said Desulme.
He asked federal leaders to reconsider the 'harmful policy and work toward an immigration system that reflects our shared values and honors the dignity of all individuals.'
Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen described the ban as an attack 'on our collective humanity, a blatant disregard for the principles that make our nation great.
'This policy is not about safety; it's about exclusion,' said the official, who is Haitian American.
President Donald Trump flipped Miami-Dade red for the first time since George H.W. Bush won the presidency in 1988, riding new support throughout the majority-Hispanic county. He received loyal backing from local Republicans who also viewed his victory as integral to their own. But as the Trump administration has rolled out immigration policies targeting Venezuelans, Haitians and Cubans, GOP officials in Miami have had to draw a careful balance between supporting the White House and the many immigrants in their district affected by Trump's immigration agenda.
U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Miami Republican, told the Herald in a statement that travel restrictions could serve as 'temporary tools' to ensure national security and said they were a way to fight against the governments in Cuba and Venezuela. However, she warned that those with family-based petitions should be protected.
'We must draw a clear line between hostile regimes and the families who suffer under them,' she said. 'These are people who have followed the law and waited years, even decades, to reunite with loved ones in the U.S. We can protect our country while upholding the values that make America a beacon of hope and freedom.'
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