This week’s guests on The Florida Roundup with host Luis Hernandez:
- Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald
- John Morales, Chief Meteorologist at NBC 6 Miami
- Eliot Kleinberg, Palm Beach Post
- Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
- Lulu Ramadan, Palm Beach Post
- Joey Flechas, Miami Herald
Tens of thousands of Haitians are living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The status was provided after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that killed more than 300,000 people.
That protection will run out in January, which means thousands could be deported. A few thousand or so have decided to try their luck further north - in Canada. More than 3,800 Haitian migrants crossed into Quebec in the first half of this month alone.
But is Canada accepting them with open arms? The Canadian Government sent a Haitian-born member of Parliament to Miami’s Little Haiti this week, urging Haitians not to cross into Canada in a way that would put them at risk for deportation and no options for help in the future.
Miami Herald Caribbean Correspondent Jacqueline Charles tells us about her trip to the border. She spoke with immigrants preparing to cross a 10-foot ditch between New York and Canada.
Where were you 25 years ago when Hurricane Andrew hit? The aftermath was intense. Within days, the National Guard arrived to cope with communities that had no power or basic supplies.
It’s been a quarter century, and South Florida hasn’t been through anything like that since. Can our infrastructure handle a Category 5 storm? How would all the coastal high rises fare in the midst of such high winds, and could we evacuate an entire city? We hear from NBC6 Meteorologist John Morales, Eliot Kleinberg with the Palm Beach Post, and the Miami Herald’s Rene Rodriguez.
On August 17 in Barcelona, a terrorist drove a van through the pedestrian area known as La Rambla. Thirteen people were killed and more than a hundred were injured.
After the attack, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine announced to residents in an email that the pedestrian area of Lincoln Road will be blocked off at both ends with concrete barriers. This is a move to prevent anyone from driving a vehicle through the crowded walkways. He also sent Gov. Rick Scott a letter seeking assistance from the state - including funding - to help cities safeguard against vehicular attacks.
The Palm Beach Post’s Lulu Ramadan and Joey Flechas with the Miami Herald join us to talk about whether this is a necessary move in every city with large pedestrian centers, and what other areas of South Florida could consider a similar move.