Fort Lauderdale, Florida:

Immigration officals this week began releasing some of the 240 Haitian asylum seekers who have been in their custody for months, including one man who is a plantiff in a federal discrimination lawsuit against the agency.
Peterson Belizaire, a 25 year old accountant active in Haiti's opposition movement, was released from the Krome detention center near Miami on Friday afternoon, according to the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, which represents him.
Immigration and Naturalization Service spokesman Rodney Germain comfirmed that Haitian asylum seekers who arrived by plane, as did Belizaire, have been released, but he declined to say exactly how many.
"We are now considering parole for [Haitians] who arrived at certain ports of entry, such as airports", Germain said.

Parole? They don't have parole for INS or in the state of Florida for that matter, and by the way what are they being paroled for? The INS still never ceases to amaze me.

The past few letters that I have gotten from Juan, he said they have been coming in and taking a group (10 to 12) of Cubans and have been releasing them. He's not one of them yet, but it looks like INS is finally doing something. If Juan does get released, he will be released on "supervised parole" which means he will be released to me, and he has to report to INS every month for the first year, once every 6 months for the second year and once a year after that. This is so that if we ever regain relations with Cuba, they will know where he is at so they can deport him.

Joy

Joy,
It's great to hear that they may release him soon, sfter a while they will have no choice. Another positive is that we will probably never resume relations with Cuba, atleast not as long as Castro or his followers are in power.
Listen do you have the name of a top/good lawyer I can contact?
Michelle

Talked to the INS officer in charge of Juan today. paper work has been sent to Washington, still waiting for an answer. Nothing can be done until then...etc...etc...etc.....etc.

It's been 3 months since the paperwork has been sent to Washington. I was also told that if the paperwork does get approved, it will take another 2 to 3 months to process him out. A law was passed last year that said they have to decide in 90 days if they can be repatriated. If they can't then they need to be released. INS is not supposed to hold a person more than 6 months without a good reason, which means that they decide he is a danger to society or a flight risk. Well, Juan has been in INS custody since last August. I think this has been more than 6 months.

Oh, guess I'll keep calling and calling. Maybe they will get tired of me and let him go.

Joy

Try a probono place to help you if they violated the law.