Statement of U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek Regarding the Death of Valery Joseph while in the Custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

MIAMI, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) released the following statement regarding the death of Haitian-born Valery Joseph while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Glades County Detention Center.  The statement will be read at a press conference today in Little Haiti organized by the Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition and the Florida Immigration Advocacy Center (FIAC).

“I thank everyone for their presence here today.  My official duties in Washington, DC prevented me from joining you at this press conference.

“Everyone gathered here at this location in Little Haiti would rather be somewhere else today.  This was supposed to be a day of joy for Valery Joseph and his family.  Instead, it is a day of mourning for our community here in South Florida.   

“I have asked the Inspector General of the Homeland Security Department to conduct an honest, open and transparent investigation into the death of Valery Joseph.  We all demand cooperation from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  We require that sensitivity be shown toward the Joseph family, not thinly veiled accusations by ICE officials questioning the invaluable pursuit of justice by advocacy groups like FIAC.      

“Sadly, we have gathered here before under similar circumstances.  We will never forget Joseph Dantica, and the ordeal his family endured following his death while in the custody of ICE officials.  His life will never be forgotten thanks to the writings of his niece, the award winning author Edwidge Danticat.     

“In South Florida, we have the finest team of human rights lawyers, Haitian-American Diaspora leaders and activists seeking out the truth.  We stand together in our pursuit of justice, and are working to bring some measure of comfort to Valery Joseph’s family during this trying time.”

On July 3, Congressman Meek wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard L. Skinner requesting an investigation into the death of Valery Joseph. 

Congressman Meek has long expressed his concerns about the mistreatment of Haitians and other detainees at detention facilities in South Florida.  In November 2004, he wrote then Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Clark Kent Ervin concerning the circumstances surrounding the death of 81-year-old Joseph Dantica, a Haitian national who sought asylum in the United States, but died under suspicious circumstances while in ICE custody in Miami.  A copy of that letter dated November 17, 2004 appears here.

The Meek letter to Inspector General Skinner follows:

July 3, 2008

Richard L. Skinner
Office of the Inspector General
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Dear Inspector General Skinner:

I write to request a formal investigation and a copy of the subsequent Report of Investigation into the death and unusual posthumous handling of Mr. Valery Joseph. Further, I request a copy of the Department’s protocols with respect to the disposition of the remains of those who die while under the custody of the Department.

As I understand the situation, Mr. Joseph, a Haitian born detainee, was found dead on Friday June 20, 2008 in the Glades Correctional Institution in Glades, Florida.  After spending four months at the facility, a healthy Mr. Joseph was scheduled for a hearing with possible release to his family on July 3rd, 2008.

Even more disturbing is the manner in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officials ordered an autopsy of Mr. Joseph’s body before even notifying the family of his death. Only after the family made numerous calls over several days to ICE to determine Mr. Joseph’s whereabouts, did the ICE Chaplain call to notify the family of his recent death. Finally, when Mr. Joseph's mother went to claim her son’s body, the funeral director had to explain that Mr. Joseph’s cadaver had been dissected during the autopsy and was not suitable for viewing.

This situation is of great concern to me, and I would appreciate your response to it.  I look forward to your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

S/

KENDRICK B. MEEK
Member of Congress

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek represents the 17^th Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves as the lone Floridian sitting on the House Committee on Ways and Means, and also sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

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