The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR and Immigration Minister Keith Bell said yesterday that deportation documents signed several days ago may have included the two minor daughters of US resident Clairnise Louis.

This comes one day after The Tribune received a letter addressed to Mr Bell on Monday written by Ms Louis’s attorney asking for the Department of Immigration to release her two girls into the custody of relatives in The Bahamas as there is no one to receive them in Haiti should they be deported.

 Ms Louis was born in The Bahamas to Haitian parents. Her children are 11 and nine-years-old and were born in The Bahamas to Ms Louis and Haitian fathers according to birth certificates seen by this newspaper.

 When asked if Ms Louis’s children have been deported, Mr Bell said, “I am not certain, but I know I signed a number of deportation documents two days ago.”

 He was also asked if Ms Louis’s children were in fact taken into custody because it is suspected someone was attempting to smuggle them into the US.

 Mr Bell said in response, “There were a number of persons who were taken into custody, I do recall a particular case of a similar nature, but I have asked the Director (of Immigration Keturah Ferguson) to look into the matter and then I will be able to assess and determine.”

 He could not provide further details and attempts to reach Ms Ferguson for comment on the matter were unsuccessful up to press time.

 According to the letter from Ms Louis’ attorney, on October 19 the mother was advised that her children were taken into custody while attempting to travel to the US. The letter noted that Ms Louis made arrangements to return to The Bahamas once she was advised of the circumstances surrounding her children.

 “On our client’s arrival in The Bahamas, she (Ms Louis) made inquiries at the Immigration Department and was advised that her children were in fact taken into custody while attempting to travel to America,” the letter noted.

 “Our client instructs that she has no idea how her children were placed in the position in which they found themselves when they were taken into custody. Our client denies any involvement in the attempted smuggling.

 “This matter is of serious concern to our client because she was making excellent progress with the American officials in acquiring status for her children.”

 Ms Louis is willing to present herself to both the Bahamas Department of Immigration and the Royal Bahamas Police Force to be interviewed, said the letter.

 Ms Louis’s children were staying with her brother in The Bahamas, while she resided and worked in the US, her attorney said.

 “We are advised that our client, a legal resident of the United States of America, relocated to America some seven years ago and left her children in the custody of her biological brother.”

 The letter continues, “We are instructed our client travels to The Bahamas every two to three months to visit with her children and has applied to the American authorities for status for her children to have her children live and reside with her in America.”