After four months of training in computer and customer relations skills, 41 youths from Belize City almost didn't nake it to their graduation ceremony this morning. The students, all born Belizeans, are part of the Entra 21 Program and were close to an hour late for their graduation because they were detained at an immigration checkpoint. At 7:20 this morning they were stopped by immigration officers at mile 17 on the Western Highway. The graduates were asked to produce passports or IDs. Most had none so the immigration officers detained them for 40 minutes. Two of the outraged graduates are Arlette Woods and Lynn Smith and, take it from us, you don't need a passport or ID to know they are Belizean.
Arlette Woods, Detained by Immigration Officer
"We reached very late for our graduation. You know how bad that felt that everybody was there and we walked in late for our own graduation? I didn't like that and I don't know about the rest but I want him to come to Channel 7 back and apologize to us personally. We had to try and call all kind of people to help us get out of that so we can reach our own graduation which was not right."
Keith Swift,
But he could have looked at you and know you're a Belizean.
Arlette Woods,
"Of course. I might have in curls but it is straw curls. I am black as hell."
Lynn Smith, Detained by Immigration Officer
"I think that is our rights and this is the first time I am getting such information that being in Belize you need to travel with an identification. He could have looked at us and see that we are Belizeans. Hey, come on, do I look like a Hispanic."
Keith Swift,
Why do you think he targeted you guys?
Lynn Smith,
"I really don't know why because while he had us pulled over, we noticed that two express buses passed. I don't want to be discriminative but they were all Hispanic people and come on, he was just like go ahead to them and he kept us back. We explained that we needed to go to our graduation."
Keith Swift,
So you were late for your graduation ceremony.
Lynn Smith,
"We were late, when we reached at our graduation, all the rest of the districts were already there. They had to wait on Belize City."
Pauline Wade, Project Manager - Entra 21
"It was a most disappointing episode this morning. I think it is a blatant display of arrogance, poor judgment on the part of the officer, and I think that the situations like these need to be brought to the forefront."
Despite today's delay, the students graduated from Entra 21 Program which is a job placement vehicle. There were also graduates from Cayo, Dangriga, and Toledo. Pauline Wade says they will file a complaint with the Immigration Department.
