Haitian Refugees Waiting to Hear From Loved Ones After Hurricane Matthew

Refugees from Haiti have slowly made their way to the United States after the 2010 earthquake.

The death toll continues to rise in Haiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew and Haitians in San Diego are hoping for any news of their loved ones.

The refugees have slowly made their way to the United States after the 2010 earthquake. Organizers told NBC 7, the refugees are having a really hard time connecting with loved ones back in Haiti because the destruction there is just too much. It could take weeks for them to be able to hear from family members just to find out if they are okay.

Hurricane Matthew has claimed hundreds of lives and taken out power lines on several square miles, making communication basically impossible. Now, refugees in San Diego can only sit and wait to hear from family and friends.

Many left their native country after the 2010 earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands. Thousands of refugees have been granted humanitarian parole to come into the United States for three years.

The idea is they'll be able to get a job, learn new skills, and in three years’ time; go back to Haiti and help grow the economy there. The Obama Administration enacted a new policy recently that would make it harder for Haitian refugees to cross the border. Women and children have priority to come into the country, but many men are not being allowed in. Many are separated from their families and are being housed in detention centers in Mexico.

It's unclear how long they'll be in these detention centers, but it is clear where they'll be going. They'll be sent back to Haiti, to deal with the aftermath of hurricane Matthew.

β€œMost Haitians are no longer being paroled into the United States and are now being detained. They are being prioritized for what is known as expedited removal to Haiti. Obviously Haiti is not in the condition right now to receive these folks. They didn't have the right conditions before Hurricane Matthew," said Christian Ramirez of Alliance San Diego.

Christ United Methodist Church in Normal Heights has helped more than 3,000 Haitian refugees over the past couple of months.  Eighty percent move to the east coast to reconnect with family members there and will most likely call that home until the end of their three-year stay.

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