Latest news with #MarleineBastien
The Herald Scotland
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump's new travel restrictions hit tourists, families
Trump's proclamation, signed on June 4, takes effect June 9. The administration cited security reasons for the bans on travelers from a dozen countries and restrictions on those from seven others. It prohibits entry into the U.S. of foreign nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Travel restrictions, including suspensions, will be placed on those from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Of the nearly 1.7 million visas issued to people from those countries between 2014 and 2023, almost half were from Venezuela. They reunited with family, shopped and visited Disney World and other theme parks and attractions, according to recent media and social media accounts. Venezuelans and Haitians speak out against the travel ban The proclamation suspends entry into the United States for Venezuelan nationals with temporary work, study and tourist visas. "Venezuela lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures," the proclamation said. It also mentioned the overstay rate on visas from the country is nearly 10%. A mother from Venezuela who moved to South Florida six years ago told CBS News she's unsure whether her adult son, who remains in the South American country, will be allowed to visit her. The announcement also prompted concern among bloggers who write about Disney parks in California and Florida, who questioned the impact the restrictions could have on the thousands who visit the parks each year from Venezuela. Members of South Florida's Haitian community also spoke out about the ban. More than 230,000 native Haitians live in the metropolitan area, roughly 4% of the region's population, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Marleine Bastien, who was born in Haiti and now serves on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, said she's "deeply disheartened" by the ban. In a statement, she called it "cruel and xenophobic" and a "blatant attempt to scapegoat an already suffering people." "This unjust policy will sow chaos in our communities, separating families, and disrupting lives," said Bastien, founder of Family Action Network Movement, a South Florida-based organization. The decision is a "betrayal of the values America claims to uphold - compassion, justice, and opportunity for all," she said. Haitians averaged 24,337 non-immigrant visas for the U.S. over a decade and Cubans averaged 12,464. Travel from the countries plunged during the pandemic but had begun to increase again by 2023. Haitians received 10,515 non-immigrant visas that year and Cubans received 6,146. Trump's proclamation stated he had directed the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and others to identify countries where the vetting and screening information is "so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension" of nationals of those countries into the U.S. and the group had found a number of countries deficient. Rubio, a South Florida native whose parents migrated from Cuba in 1956, shared on X a post from the White House, attributed to Trump: "We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen ... That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others." USA TODAY looked at how many visas were distributed to foreign nationals from the countries in question over the past decade. A nonimmigrant visa is a temporary document, issued for tourism, temporary work, medical care, study or business. How many visitor's visas were issued? Combined, foreign nationals in the countries now facing travel bans accounted for fewer than 63,000 non-immigrant visas in 2023, the most recent year for which statistics are available. At least two dozen other countries not included in the ban each accounted for more visitor visas that year. While Venezuela leads all the 19 recently restricted countries in visitors to the U.S., Iranians received 17,634 non-immigrant visas in 2023, more than any of the dozen countries facing total travel bans. Myanmar, which U.S. documents recognize as Burma, received the next-most with 13,284. Here are the number of non-immigrant visas granted to nationalities of the other countries facing bans: Sudan, 4,506 Yemen, 4,204 Afghanistan, 2,665 Libya, 2,259 Congo Republic, 2,175 Chad, 2,090 Equatorial Guinea, 1,534 Eritrea, 931 Somalia, 463 Looking at the decade overall, Haitians topped the list, receiving the most non-immigrant visas among the banned countries at 243,369. Iran was second with 162,356 and Burma/Myanmar was third with 115,520. Among the countries facing travel restrictions rather than bans, foreign nationals from five of those - Sierra Leone, Togo, Laos, Turkmenistan and Burundi - received fewer than 8,500 non immigrant visas combined in 2023. Which country's residents received the most non-immigrant visas? Mexico led the world at 2.3 million non-immigrant visas in 2023. The figure also includes border crossing cards, laminated cards that allow Mexicans to cross the border between the nations for periods of less than 30 days. More than 1.3 million people planning to visit the U.S. from India received non-immigrant visas in 2023 and 1.06 million from Brazil. Other countries whose nationalities received the most visiting visas in 2023 include: Colombia, 476,293 China, 417,008 Argentina, 291,892 Ecuador, 274,799 Philippines, 285,860 Israel, 190,415 Vietnam, 133,781 Dominican Republic, 130,360 Turkey, 130,168 Nigeria, 113,695 Peru, 111,851 Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about climate change, violent weather and other news. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘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.'
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘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.'
Miami Herald
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Black History Month events
Here are South Florida events commemorating February's Black History Month Feb. 1: Movie in the Park: Screening of 'Wakanda Forever,' a tribute to the legacy of the Black Panther franchise. Free popcorn available while supplies last. Refreshments sold on-site. Bring a blanket and enjoy; 6 P.M., Altos Del Mar Park, 241 77th St., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 1: Art & Soul: Celebrate the 12th anniversary of the social and fundraising event supporting the Fund for Black Art with an evening of art, cocktails, music and dancing under the stars; 6 p.m.-midnight; Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; tickets start at $200. Feb. 1: An Evening with Dr. Marvin Dunn: Explore the history and legacy of the Rosewood Massacre of 1923 through an insightful lecture and exhibit; 5:30-6:30 p.m., Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables. Free. Feb. 1: Stories of Resistance from Black Miami's Sip of History: Panel discussion focuses on the enduring struggle, resilience and resistance of Black communities in Miami in response to racial injustice. Features Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien; historian Lonnie Lawrence, and Dr. Adora Obi Nweze, president of the Florida State Conference NAACP, sharing their stories of the significant contributions of Black Miamians to social justice movements; 2-4 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum, South Building, 101 W. Flagler St., Miami. $5 members, $15 non-members. Feb. 5: Jazz Men: An Evening of Music and Conversation with author Larry Tyre and special performance by Young Musicians Unite Jazz Ensemble; 7:30-9 p.m., Miami Beach JCC, 4221 Pine Tree Dr., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 5: Awkward Dinner: Exploring Caribbean Legacy and Identity: Through food and guided dialogue, participants explore topics relevant to MOCA's exhibition by Andrea Chung and themes specific to the South Florida environment. Limited-capacity event; 6-9 p.m., MOCA Paradise Courtyard, 770 NE 125th St., North Miami. $55-$91. Feb. 7: Black History Night Celebration: The Black Affairs Advisory Committee presents the 2025 Community Award to Olympian Twanisha 'TeeTee' Terry. Also features cultural performances by after-school participants, music, rides, food and crafts; 6-9 p.m., North Shore Park Youth Center, 501 72nd St., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 7: Kilombo: Exhibition of large-scale documentary photographs, a tribute to the resilience and vitality of the African legacy in Brazil, represents the work of Maria Daniel Balcazar, a prize-winning documentary photographer and visual anthropologist; 7:15 p.m., Lummus Park, The Betsy South Beach, 1433 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 8: Soul Vegan & Seafood Festival: The ninth annual event celebrates Black History Month through the lens of food, drink, health, sustainability and fun on the sands of Miami Beach; 1-6:30 p.m., Lummus Park, Ocean Drive between Sixth and Seventh streets. Free. Feb. 13: 'Never Drop the Ball:' Screening of the documentary that chronicles the remarkable journey of Black baseball players who helped transform the sport from a segregated pastime into a global phenomenon. A panel discussion follows with Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, baseball historian Abel Sanchez. Moderated by Tom Hudson of WLRN News; 6:30 p.m., SoundScape Park, 1670 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 16: Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion: Presenting West African Beats: One Song, a musical journey through the African diaspora curated by violinist/vocalist Nicole Yarling; 4 p.m., Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. $37-$53. Feb. 18: Heritage Fest: Performances by local artists, sample delicious food from various vendors and jam to beats pumping onto the dance floor; 3 p.m., Adrienne Arsht Center, Thomson Plaza for the Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Free. 305-949-6722. Feb. 19: Time and Place: Multitudes of Black Experience in Miami: Panel discussion delves into the history and cultural significance of Black Miami, inspired by the work of artist Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo; 6:30-8 p.m., Miami-Dade College's Padrón Campus, 627 SW 27th Ave., Room 201, Miami. Free. 305-237-7700. Feb. 20: Hued Songs: Building belonging, empathy and community for all, Hued Songs weaves and performs a tapestry of song and spoken word by an all-women cast, centering on female resistance, freedom and liberation of self; 6-9 p.m., The Bass Museum, 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 20: Shattered Structures: Looking Back 15 Years to the Earthquake in Haiti: The exhibition focuses on Haiti's architectural legacy and its fragility as documented in photographs of buildings taken following the 2010 earthquake; 6- 8 p.m., FIU-Miami Beach Urban Studios, 420 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 22: Cuban Folk Dance Traditions - Exploring African Roots: Learn dance steps used in various music genres of Cuba such as Rumba, Salsa and Afro-Cuban folk, while exploring their African roots and cultural significance, with Marisol Blanco, master dancer and artist-in-residence; 2 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum, South Building, 101 W. Flagler St., Miami. Free. Feb. 27: Botanical Garden Groove: A night of music, art and culture, featuring live sets from PAPERWATER, DJ Duality, Pressure Point and DJ Dluxe, showcasing an eclectic mix of footwork, Baltimore house, jungle and juke. Also includes creative activities; 6-10 p.m., Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 27: Portraits of the Blues: Celebrate the legacy of blues music through live performances and engaging stories that highlight its cultural significance; 12:40-1:55 p.m., Miami-Dade College West Campus, 3800 NW 115th Ave., Doral. Free. March 2: Melton Mustafa Jazz Festival: The 28th annual festival features a tribute to bassist and composer Jaco Pastorius; Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater, 819 NW Second Ave., Miami. $20-$230.
