Bishops to the rescue

Miami

Nine Roman Catholic bishops are pleading for the release of 228 Haitian refugees whose boat ran aground near Miami in October. Until a year ago, most illegal immigrants could stay with relatives until officials decided whether to grant them political asylum. Under a new policy, nearly all are locked up until the paperwork is finished, then deported. The Florida bishops said it was “indefensible and inequitable” to keep Haitians behind bars, since Cubans arriving by boat are immediately released. A Justice Department spokesman said Congress granted Cubans special treatment because they are fleeing communism. Most others must be turned away, he said, to avert “the clear threat posed by a mass migration.”