After being slammed with a category 5 hurricane, Bahamas residents hoping to seek refuge in the United States are reportedly being turned away.
Hurricane Dorian recently forced many Bahamians to evacuate after ravaging through the island with strong winds of up to 200 miles per hour. Flooding waters and fierce winds left many families homeless and hoping to seek refuge in nearby Florida. But it appears that the Trump Administrations immigration policies are forcing Bahamians back to their devastated communities.
Brian Entin, a reporter for Miami news outlet 7 News WSVN, tweeted out videos that showed Bahamas residents being denied entry into the U.S.
“Big problems on the ferry from Freeport to Florida — announcement just made that any Bahamian without a visa must now get off,” Entin tweeted Sunday evening. “This is not normal. Normally Bahamians can travel to USA with passport and a printout of their police record. This is a mess.”
Big problems on the ferry from Freeport to Florida — announcement just made that any Bahamian without a visa must now get off. This is not normal. Nornally Bahamians can travel to USA with passport and a printout of their police record. This is a mess. pic.twitter.com/DESUm2qBGE
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) September 8, 2019
Another man with an infant was also turned away.
Hundreds like Renard Oliver and his baby now have to get off the ferry from Freeport, Bahamas to Florida. He was trying to evacuate — told he could leave with Bahamian passport and police record like normal but then ferry crew says US Goverment called and changed plan last minute pic.twitter.com/vhBkSgBlKF
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) September 8, 2019
Nearly 1,000 evacuees lined up in Freeport on Friday hoping “to return back to the U.S. with a cruise ship that had just arrived and was planning to leave for Palm Beach later that night with 1,500 precious seats.”, The Sun Sentinal reports.
However, Bahamas Paradise, the company that owns the ship, said “it would evacuate Bahamian residents who had ‘proper documentation.’
Florida State Rep. Shevrin Jones, who has family in the Bahamas, wants justice for the evacuees.
“There is no way that all those individuals can have those materials,” Jones said. “We should not make those documents the deal breaker on whether you can come stay with your family or not.”
He also wrote on Twitter,
“The boat w/ Bahamians being turned away because they have no visas is why we must suspend the requirements for certain ppl, especially those who have families here. What did we send them back to? Nothing! Many have lost everything. This is a humanitarian issue!”
The boat w/ Bahamians being turned away because they have no visas is why we must suspend the requirements for certain ppl, especially those who have families here. What did we send them back to? Nothing! Many have lost everything.
— Shevrin Jones (@ShevrinJones) September 9, 2019
This is a humanitarian issue! #BahamaStrong
As of Friday, “the federal government had yet to comment on the status of whether Bahamian residents who wish to flee the islands will be allowed into the United States to stay with any family they may have,” according to the Sun Sentinal.
