May 14, 2009 1:15 pm US/Eastern
So. FL Haitian Community Sounds Off on Talk Radio
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Callers flooded Creole Radio station WSRF Thursday to talking about the tragedy at sea that claimed nine of the countrymen's lives.
CBS
Many in South Florida's Haitian community called in Thursday morning to the Creole Radio station WSRF. The passion and concern in their collective voice was undeniable as they expressed their outrage over a state of affairs in their homeland which have forced many of their countrymen to risk their lives in smuggling operations to come to the U.S.
"We have no respect, no voice, we don't have any help whatsoever," said radio host Mark Nene Jeudy.
Jeudy blames the Haitian government for the problem.
"We don't have people to stand up for us when this happens," said Jeudy.
Jeudy said many of his countrymen are hoping the U.S. government will 'stand up' for them. President Barack Obama is considering Temporary Protected Status, TPS, for migrants from Haiti. Under the protected status, Haitian migrants would not be deported immediately when reaching the shores of the U.S., but could face deportation in the future.
"I hope Mr. Obama listens to our voice and responds to our demand," said Jeudy.
If the Obama administration does not confer TPS on Haitian migrants, Jeudy fears we will see more tragedies at sea like the one that happened Wednesday.
"These things happen too often which means someone isn't doing their job," he said.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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