And down the street at a temporary courthouse for the High Court - attorney Norman Rodriguez appeared before the court presenting a writ of habeas corpus for Jamaican Carlos Higgins. He arrived in Belize 9 days ago - along with 2 other Jamaicans - but the Immigration Department deemed him a prohibited immigrant - even though, as CARICOM citizens,Jamaicans should enjoy freedom of movement within Belize. But, Immigration authorities suspected they wanted to go north to the USA and lawfully detained all 3 of them - by day at the airport, and by night at a nearby hotel.
It was a weird arrangement - and it forced two of the Jamaicans to return home. But Higgins decided to stay on and fight his case. Lucky for him - he has been released into he custody of his attorney. And today he was in the High court - we spoke top his attorney outside:
Norman Rodriguez, Attorney for Carlos Higgins
"That a person has the right to apply to the court for a writ of habeas corpus which is to say free me or and to determine if a detention was lawful. They were detained, they were held beyond a certain point more than a week or at least one week for the other two who have chosen to go back home, but Mr Carlos Higgins he sought my advice and I felt that it was time that one of us as attorneys step up to the plate that we would say and offer some assistance to those people. Too many people are coming into the country, we had those from Haiti who came, we have the Jamaicans and they're being turned back."
"The discretion that is exercised may seem not fair the only thing you can do then is to employ section 20 of the constitution which gives you the authority or the opportunity to go before a court for them to determine if your right has been breached."
Jules Vasquez
"So what is Mr Higgins, what is his desire at this time."
Norman Rodriguez, Attorney for Carlos Higgins
"Well man said when he was asking court if he wants to go back on Friday he insisted that he wants to see Belize and enjoy Belize, that's what he came for so he is hoping that the court will rule in his favor and then he can get an opportunity to enjoy Belize as he has come to."
"The man say he doesn't want to go to States, he doesn't want to go nowhere, he has a ticket back out of Belize to somewhere in Panama. He had a certain amount of money, he had people waiting for him outside."
"I think those who interviewed acted and they have a right to act that way but sometimes you have to exercise a little more discretion right. It's not everybody who come here want to use here to go to the US."
Jules Vasquez
"And that's the thing that the immigration department feels that these Jamaicans are very specifically using Belize as a launchpad to get on the American continental mainland and from their launch in the United States Mr Higgins says that's not his wish."
Norman Rodriguez, Attorney for Carlos Higgins
"The man say he wants to stay here and he will enjoy Belize once he's granted the opportunity and when he's done he's going back."
Both Rodriguez and the Attorney General's office will reappear in court tomorrow to continue the hearing. No date has been set by the judge to deliver a decision.
