Sharpless: I would suggest that we reframe that and level up instead of level down. Why is it that we feel it is necessary to take away from Cubans what we see as an exclusive benefit for them as opposed to being more open-minded about treating people from other countries in the same manner?

UM News: Can you talk a little about the work that the Miami Law clinics have done with regard to the Caribbean Basin over the years?

Sharpless: The earthquake of 2010 was a tragedy for Haitians both on the island and in the U.S. The administration granted temporary protected status, allowing for some people who were here to legally stay. Individuals who were not given the status were deported into horrible conditions in Haiti. The deportees were jailed, one man even died within a week of return. Students in the clinic and the supervising attorneys fanned out into the Haitian communities to assist with applications for TPS and worked to caution the United States against deporting people into post-earthquake Haiti until there were safe and secure conditions.

The clinics were heavily involved in human rights reporting on the dire conditions in the country. Clinic students traveled and interviewed newly deported Haitians about the conditions in the jails and the country. People were living in the streets, not able to access medical care or medications. The situation was beyond desperate. We used the reporting to produce a 100-page report that was used to appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Abraham: Haiti is certainly a place with a terribly long road to go before it approaches anything resembling a stable political system, let alone social prosperity. There are many folks who would say that if a Haitian found himself in Cuba tomorrow, he'd think he died and went to heaven. I wonder if the U.S., as a neighbor, might historically bear some responsibility and have an obligation that we don't have elsewhere in the world.

Sharpless: That is both true and the argument that we made when we were advocating that the U.S. suspend deportations to Haiti. The question always was: What is so special about Haiti? There are acute circumstances in many, many countries. But I do think Haiti, especially post-earthquake, was a very compelling situation.

UM News: What do you see, both in advocacy and in scholarship, as the role of Miami Law moving into the future of Cuba and the region as a whole?

Abraham: Miami Law is very privileged to have a number of very active and effective scholars and clinical activists in the immigration area. What is bad news for the country might very well be an occasion for Miami Law to become an even more prominent actor in both scholarship and advocacy. It's clear that the U.S. government would like to see more highly skilled and affluent people immigrating, yet historically, “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” is something for which we need to be advocates. I can only think of two or three other universities in the U.S. that have as many people dedicated to and involved in this work as we do.

Sharpless: I couldn't agree more, and I am trying to take the long view. The current administration has done a good job of abstracting people and making them seem like strangers when they are not. We need to put a human face on those who are being targeted. We will get through the next four years and come out on the other side having learned much. Our country will learn that we are committed to human rights and immigrant rights and providing shelter. As a clinic on the forefront, we will use these lessons to make humane change.

- CATHARINE SKIPP / UM News