IV
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 182
Concerning United States interdiction of Haitian vessels and individuals.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 17, 1993
Ms. MCKINNEY (for herself, Mr. BLACKWELL, Ms. WATERS, Mr. TUCKER,
Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. DIXON, Mr. RUSH, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Miss
COLLINS of Michigan, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mrs.
MEEK, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. WATT, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. DEL-
LUMS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. OWENS, Mr. FIELDS of Louisiana, Mr.
HILLIARD, and Mr. CLYBURN) submitted the following concurrent resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Concerning United States interdiction of Haitian vessels and
individuals.
Whereas the United States has a unique agreement with
Haiti permitting the Coast Guard to stop, board, and de-
tain Haitian vessels and individuals found on board such
vessels;
Whereas under this agreement the United States declares
that it does not intend to return to Haiti any migrants
found to be refugees;
Whereas on September 30, 1991, the first democratically
elected president in Haitian history, Jean Bertrand
Aristide, was forcibly overthrown;
•HCON 182 IH
Whereas a United States District Court stated in an
uncontested finding that since the military coup ‘‘hun-
dreds of Haitians have been killed, tortured, detained
without warrant, or subjected to violence and the destruc-
tion of their property because of their political beliefs’’;
Whereas the Governor’s Island Accord has been blatently dis-
regarded by the coup leaders and no implementation of
the accord appears imminent;
Whereas prior to May 24, 1992, the United States routinely
screened interdicted Haitians to determine whether they
had a credible fear of persecution in Haiti if returned;
Whereas since May 24, 1992, the United States has had a
policy of returning all interdicted Haitians regardless of
the prospects of persecution upon return;
Whereas approximately 30 percent of the Haitians interdicted
during the months preceding the institution of the blan-
ket return policy were found to have credible fears of per-
secution;
Whereas the interdiction program as currently instituted de-
prives Haitians of the opportunity to escape dire cir-
cumstances by sea to a place other than the United
States; and
Whereas even after the Supreme Court held that nothing in
statute or treaty prevents a blanket return policy, the
United States reportedly screened Chinese interdicted off
the Pacific coast to determine whether any of them had
a credible fear of persecution if returned to China: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
•HCON 182 IH
(1) no Haitian interdicted by any officer or em-
ployee of the United States should be forcibly re-
turned to Haiti prior to being interviewed by a
trained asylum officer to determine whether she or
he has a credible fear of being persecuted on return
because of race, religion, nationality, membership in
a particular social group, or political opinion; and
(2) any Haitian found to have a credible fear
of persecution should be paroled into the United
States for the purpose of applying for political asy-
lum.
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