In January, President Obama pledged not to forsake or forget Haiti during what promised to be a long and painful recovery from the worst earthquake to hit the island nation in 200 years. To that end, the administration immediately sent military assistance and millions of dollars in emergency aid. But it has yet to take another crucial step: expediting the immigration to the United States of the 55,000 Haitians who already have been approved for visas by the Department of Homeland Security.
These Haitians, sponsored by relatives who are either legal residents or citizens, have met all requirements; among other things, they have provided the government with legally binding affidavits from family members guaranteeing financial support so that they do not become a public burden. Due to a monumental backlog of visas available for Haitians, however, officials say the process takes from four to 11 years. Given the dire circumstances in Haiti and the administration's promise of staunch support, it is both logical and humane to speed this process on their behalf. And there is precedent for doing so. In 2007, President George W. Bush allowed Cubans whose family petitions had been approved to enter the country ahead of schedule, and he did the same for refugees from Indochina and Kosovo. Haitians certainly need visas just as badly, so why the disparate treatment?
