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It's the ol' layover-and-flee move: Thirteen players from Haiti's under-17 national soccer team "deserted" their team during a layover at JFK Airport. Six players returned, but seven are still missing. The squad was headed to South Korea to prepare for the FIFA's U17 World Cup, but now it's unclear whether their team will be intact for its August 19 match against Japan.
Haitian officials are looking for the teens, and Haiti's counsel general Felix Augustin said, "It seems that some adults may have been involved. If so, they are going to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." And the head of the Haitian Football Federation took to NYC radio waves by telling a Haitian-Creole station that the missing players were "were hurting their futures and threatened to involve U.S. authorities 'unless these players reinstate themselves as soon as possible.'" Hmm, given that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, we think the kids will take their chances and stay here.
The FBI, NYPD, and Port Authority are helping look for the teens. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says they will try to help as much as they can, but the teens' tourist visas still have six months to go before expiring.
Photograph of some Haitian national under-17 soccer team players from the AP
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Which neighborhoods of the city are particularly Haitian?
"now it's unclear whether their team will be in tact for its August 19 match"
in tact? otherwise they'll be tacky?
intact = in one piece
The Haitian situation is really sad.
I bet the missing ones are working this morning.
a bunch of teens from some impoverished nation escape when in NYC...surprised?
I can sleep soundly now knowing that DHS is keeping me safe!
Zodak: the article specifically says that they have current valid visas that are good for about six months.
I read that & that's my point: All you need is a tourist visa & then you can vanish in the crowds to do whatever you want here.
Zodak: you would prefer that DHS instead monitors every movement of individuals who have broken none of our laws (so far as the article mentions) and given no indication that they are of any threat to us? From what we know, these kids just don't want to have to return to Haiti, and so long as they can maintain legal status in our country then they haven't done anything wrong. Haiti is a depressed, diseased, dangerous country and they found a way out, at least for now.