By Nelson A. King
Jamaican-born Democratic Assemblyman
Nick Perry on Friday joined
New York Attorney General Letitia
James in announcing the introduction
of the Police Accountability Act.
Nick Perry, who represents the largely
Caribbean 58th Assembly District in
Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life that he
will sponsor the legislation in the New
York State Assembly.
“The legislation will change state
laws governing police use of force to
strengthen prosecutors’ ability to hold
police officers accountable for unjustified
and excessive use of force,” Perry
said. “The bill seeks to amend the use
of force law to make it an absolute last
resort, mandating that police officers
only use force after all other alternatives
have been exhausted.
“The act also will establish new criminal
penalties for police officers who
employ force that is grossly in excess of
what is warranted in an interaction with
civilians,” he added. “These significant
changes to how we police in New York
are long overdue, and I’m so excited to
join in this effort with our trailblazing
Attorney General ‘Tish’ (Letitia) James
to make sure this becomes the new
standard by which police will use when
faced with the decision of whether or
not to use deadly force.”
Perry said he felt compelled to act,
“as sadly, Black Americans are three
times more likely to die at the hands
of police.
“So, based on these statistics, New
Yorkers who look like me, who could
be my son, my daughter, my wife, live
in a time where just the color of their
skin could be a death sentence,” he said.
“This must change.”
Perry said that New York State
Democratic Senator Kevin Parker, who
represents the 21st Senate District in
Brooklyn, will sponsor the legislation in
the State Senate.
James said the Police Accountability
Act — the most far-reaching use
of force reform in the United States
— seeks to amend New York’s law that
justifies police use of force, which currently
sets an exceedingly high standard
for prosecuting police officers who
have improperly used deadly or excessive
force.
She said that the centerpiece of the
legislation seeks to amend the use of
force law from one of simple necessity
to one of absolute last resort, mandating
that police officers only use force
after all other alternatives have been
exhausted.
James said the legislation will also
establish new criminal penalties for
police officers who employ force that is
“grossly in excess of what is warranted
in an interaction with civilians.”
Caribbean Life, JUNE 4-10, 2021 3
Rep Val Demings, (D-FL), speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial
and Administrative Law on “Online Platforms and Market Power” in the Rayburn House offi ce Building on Capitol
Hill, in Washington, U.S., July 29, 2020. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS, fi le
House Haiti Caucus hails
Haitian TPS Designation
By Nelson A. King
The United States House of Representatives’
Haiti Caucus on Wednesday
praised a new 18-month Temporary Protected
Status (TPS) designation for Haitians
living in the United States.
The Joe Biden administration two
Saturdays ago re-designated TPS to over
100,000 undocumented Haitians.
“As the chairs of the Haiti Caucus,
we welcome President Biden’s decision
to grant Haitians living in the United
States Temporary Protected Status,” said
the Caucus co-chairs — Andy Levin, of
Michigan; Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter
of Jamaican immigrants, of Brooklyn;
Val Demings, of Florida; and Ayanna
Pressley, of Massachusetts — in a statement.
“It is wrong to force people to return
to uncertain and dangerous conditions
in Haiti,” they added. “This is a necessary
step that will protect Haitian
migrants amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
and ongoing political crisis in Haiti.
“We are deliberate in calling this a
‘step,’” they continued, urging the Biden
administration to examine all of its policies
concerning Haiti and “act urgently”
on the requests outlined, on April 26, by
the US House of Representatives’ Foreign
Affairs Committee Chairman, Gregory
Meeks, House Democratic Caucus
Chairman Hakeem Jeffries; and dozens
more members.
The US House Haiti Caucus said more
action is needed “to ensure the health,
wellbeing and human rights of the Haitian
people.
“We look forward to working in partnership
with the Biden/Harris administration
to provide a permanent pathway
to citizenship for TPS holders, and build
an immigration system that affirms the
dignity and humanity of all people,”
they said.
Last week, Haitian leaders and immigration
advocates in New York welcomed
the Biden administration’s decision.
New York City Council Member Dr.
Mathieu Eugene, a longtime advocate
for immigration rights, joined Haitian
leaders and New York legislators in commending
US Senate Majority Leader
Charles E. Schumer for his advocacy to
help secure an 18-month extension of
TPS for Haitians.
The councilman, a candidate for
Brooklyn Borough president, said Haiti
“has been through more than its fair
share of challenges that have disrupted
the economy,” as it continues to rebuild
from the 2010 earthquake and numerous
tropical storms.
“I am most appreciative to President
Biden, Senator Charles Schumer, the
New York Congressional Delegation,
and the many immigration advocates
who have worked diligently to make
this humanitarian gesture of extending
Temporary Protected Status a reality,”
he said.
“Senator Schumer has been with us
from the very beginning of the advocacy
for Temporary Protected Status, and the
Haitian community is indebted to him
for his partnership and his longstanding
support of this very importance cause,”
Eugene added.
Schumer said: “This is a great day,
because we worked together to achieve
Temporary Protected Status for Haiti.
“Mathieu Eugene was one of the first
people to introduce me to the Haitian
community in Brooklyn,” he said. “C’est
une jeux merveilleuse (French for it’s
a marvelous day). You are great Americans.
You are the American dream. You
work hard for yourselves and your community;
and, by working hard, you create
a better community for Brooklyn, for
New York and for the United States.”
Last Wednesday, New York City Council
Member Farah N. Louis, the daughter
of Haitian immigrants, thanked the
Biden administration for its decision,
saying that “this is a significant step that
alleviates the threat of displacement and
deportation for approximately 150,000
Haitians living in New York City and
across the United States who have built
families and businesses here but lacked
protected status.
“Issuing a new TPS designation will
also avoid putting further strain on Haiti,
as it continues to face serious political,
economic and security challenges,”
Louis, who represents the 45th Council
District in Brooklyn, told Caribbean
Life. “In doing so, the Biden administration
has lived up to its campaign pledge
to help the Haitian community.
“They have also reaffirmed America’s
commitment to humanitarian values,”
she added. “Only by working together
may we provide a better future for the
Haitian people.”
Perry joins
James to
introduce Police
Accountability Act