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RESOLUTION CONDEMNING AND OPPOSING THE DECISION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO RETROACTIVELY RESCIND THE CITIZENSHIP OF PERSONS OF HAITIAN LINEAGE BORN IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC; URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO RESTORE THE RIGHTS OF DOMINICAN CITIZENS OF HAITIAN DESCENT

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WHEREAS, on September 23, 2013, the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic retroactively rescinded the Dominican citizenship of persons of Haitian lineage born in the Dominican Republic; and
WHEREAS, the Constitutional Court�s ruling relinquishes the Dominican citizenship of any person born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian parents from 1929 to the present, effectively denying hundreds of thousands of people their citizenship and leaving them stateless; and
WHEREAS, the ruling discriminates against and oppresses a group based upon their family lineage, national origin and race, violating international human rights norms; and
WHEREAS, in particular, the Court�s ruling violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights and the International Convention of Elimination of Racial Discrimination, all of which the Dominican Republic has ratified; and

WHEREAS, the Dominican Republic has a long history of xenophobic behavior targeting persons of Haitian descent and denying their basic civil and human rights; and
WHEREAS, in 1937, for example, Dominican dictator President Trujillo ordered the Parsley Massacre, which resulted in the death of between 20,000 and 30,000 Haitians in a single day; and
WHEREAS, this most recent ruling will leave approximately 500,000 individuals of Haitian descent and former citizens of the Dominican Republic stateless; and
WHEREAS, this Board condemns and opposes the recent action of the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic that denies persons of Haitian descent living in the Dominican Republic their rightful citizenship,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Condemns and opposes the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic to retroactively rescind the citizenship of persons of Haitian lineage born in the Dominican Republic.
Section 2. Urges the government of the Dominican Republic to restore the rights of Dominican citizens of Haitian descent.
Section 3. Directs the Clerk of this Board to send a certified copy of this resolution to the President of the Dominican Republic and the Florida Congressional Delegation.