The cruelty of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under orders from the boss in the White House, knows no bounds.
It isn’t enough that FEMA botched recovery efforts post-Hurricane Maria, has cast the blame on Puerto Ricans themselves, and that evacuees to the mainland have been living under the fear of eviction for months now. The only thing that is saving them from being tossed into the streets with no place to go has been a court order—issued by Judge Timothy S. Hillman.
MIAMI — The Federal Emergency Management Agency must continue to pay for temporary housing for Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria for another 20 days, a federal judge ordered on Tuesday, another short reprieve for hundreds of families who have been unable to return to their homes.
The decision by Judge Timothy S. Hillman of United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts will allow Puerto Rican evacuees benefiting from FEMA’s temporary sheltering assistance program to remain in their government-paid hotel and motel rooms until checkout time on July 24 as the court holds further hearings to determine whether an additional extension is warranted.
Kudos to Latino Justice PRLDF for their tireless defense of evacuees.
This family, interviewed by Reuters—was facing an eviction order for July 4th.
Puerto Rico storm evacuees spared from eviction: court order:
Hillman’s ruling extended a previous temporary restraining order issued on Saturday that prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency to extend the assistance program until July 5.
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 with winds close to 150 miles per hour (240 kph), causing an estimated $90 billion in damage to the economically struggling U.S. territory.
In Tuesday’s order, Hillman asked lawyers in the case to address to what extent he should factor in Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello’s decision not to request an extension of the program as the judge considers whether to grant the evacuees further relief beyond July 24.
FEMA is placing the blame on Gov. Rosselló, and though I am no fan of Gov. “Ricky,” he is clearly being cast as the fall guy for yet another FEMA fuck-up and move to wash Puerto Ricans from the books.
See this document:
Evacuees are being painted as leeches and takers by racist Trumpsters (I don’t want to post their tweets—if you are curious read some of the threads from stories about the judge’s order). Many of the bigots still don’t realize that Puerto Ricans are American citizens who pay taxes—and are as deserving of help from their government as folks in Houston or Florida or other mainland disaster victims.
Watch this powerful video from NBC Latino:
Maria Baez-Claudio and her grandson, Christian Dariel fled Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. They’re part of the estimated 2,000 families still living in hotels with vouchers provided by FEMA but that program is now coming to an end
Thankfully, there are groups like the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund (Latino JusticePRLDF) who are fighting for the rights of evacuees.
Four Decades of Protecting Latino Civil Rights:
For the past 40 years, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has been changing the way Latinos live their lives in the United States and the way our country has lived up to its ideals. We embark on a year-long celebration and recognition of the important role LatinoJustice PRLDEF has played in our community.
By litigating precedent-setting impact cases across the country and training young people to be leaders in their community, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has profoundly improved the way Latinos are treated in U.S. society, working to ensure that they have more opportunities for political, economic, social and educational equality.
Gaining more equitable treatment for Puerto Ricans and Latinos was one of the goals that brought three young Puerto Rican attorneys from New York together in 1972. Jorge Batista, Victor Marrero and Cesar A. Perales wanted to change the discriminatory practices they saw taking place in their communities, and they thought the best way to do that was through advocacy and litigation.
Inspired by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Perales, Batista and Marrero sought to create a similar organization that would protect the civil rights of Puerto Ricans. They got funding from the Ford foundation, and in 1972, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund opened its doors...
They stand on the shoulders of NAACP Legal Defense Fund founder Justice Thurgood Marshall, whose birthday was last week:
Latino Justice PRLDF also has contemporary ties to SCOTUS —via Justice Sonia Sotomayor
She served on the LatinoJustice PRLDEF Board of Directors from 1980 to 1992, beginning as a young prosecutor fresh out of law school, and leaving after she was chosen to become a judge on the federal court of appeals. As a member of the board, Justice Sotomayor exhibited exceptional leadership and professionalism, as well as a strong sense of dedication to civil rights
Sadly, I realize that Puerto Rico, the deaths, the destruction and the ongoing crisis on the island and here on the mainland is of little or no interest to the majority of mainlanders and major news outlets.
Some Democratic elected officials have been speaking out—let them know you support their efforts:
This is yet another reason we have to take back the House and the Senate in November. Democrats may support more aid for Puerto Rico, but have no power to make anything happen.
Until we have the political power to help, I hope that you will support groups like PRLDF who are fighting for justice.