Gollobin, Ira/Haitian Refugee Collection, 1972-2004

Links

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• View PDF finding aid (77.2 KB)

Location

Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division

Extent

• 14 lin. ft. (37 archival boxes)

Scope/Contents Note

The Haitian Refugee Collection, 1972-2004, documents Ira Gollobin's involvement in multiple legal battles related to Haitian political asylum from the 1970s to the early 1990s. The collection highlights much of the legal and organizational features of the plight of Haitian refugees entering the United States in the late twentieth century. It represents one particular U.S. immigration discourse and the different treatment accorded to some refugees. Thecollection consists largely of drafts and copies of legal documents, meeting summaries, public outreach material that includes petitions, flyers, pamphlets, and other galvanizing materials; administrative papers from his various organizational affiliations; and research materialfor refugee asylum and cases. It covers the latter part ofGollobin's legal career beginning with his tenure as a legal consultant for the National Council of Churches in 1974, and continuing through his advocacy and consultant work until 2004 on behalf of Haitian organizations.

Biographical/Historical Note

Ira Gollobin, an immigration rights attorney and author, served as pro bono counselor to refugees from all over theworld including Nazi Germany and Duvalierist Haiti. His work with Haitian refugees, the purview of this collection,began in 1974. In this capacity he served as lead counsel on several major cases that were pivotal to the rights of Haitian refugees, the so-called "boat people." Gollobin's critical role as lead counsel was as important as his active role in developing grassroots organizations that made the public aware and active in Haitian refugee legislation issues. Through his affiliation with major organizations such as Church World Service and the communist founded American Committee for the Protection ofthe Foreign Born, he created channels for Haitian-Americanled coalitions such as the National Coalition for Haitian Rights and Haitian Refugee Center, two prominent activist organizations, to form and help steer the campaign for therights of Haitian refugees. He organized a broad-based strategy that combined legal advocacy to secure basic freedoms for Haitians with long-term policy arguments aimed at granting thousands of Haitian immigrants the right to due process in filing asylum claims.

Controlled Access Terms

• Gollobin, Ira, 1911-
• National Coalition for Haitian Rights (United States)
• American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born.
• Haitian Refugee Center (Miami, Fla.)
• Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (U.S.)
• Rescue Committee for Haitian Refugees (U.S.)
• Asylum, Right of -- United States.
• Emigration and immigration law -- United States.
• Haitian Americans -- Florida.
• Immigrants -- Civil rights -- United States.
• Refugees -- Government policy -- United States.
• Refugees -- Haiti.
• Refugees -- United States.
• Political refugees.
• Illegal aliens -- United States.
• United States -- Emigration and immigration.
• Haiti -- Emigration and immigration.
• United States -- Politics and government.
• Haiti -- Politics and government.
• Bahamas -- Politics and government.
• Black author.

Additional Creator Names

• Jean-Juste, Gérard, 1946-2009.
• Sansaricq, Guy, 1934-
• Chisholm, Shirley, 1924-2005.
• McCalla, Johnny, 1955-
• Lemoine, P. (Patrick)
• Joseph, Raymond.
• National Coalition for Haitian Rights (United States)
• National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Church World Service.
• National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
• Haitian Refugee Center (Miami, Fla.)