September 29, 2017

Correction: State Department not demanding Puerto Ricans pay for their rescue

Salon

A false report claiming that Puerto Ricans and other Americans evacuating the island after the devastation of Hurricane Maria would have to pay for their rescue — and surrender their passport in the meantime — caused some anger online, and forced the State Department to issue a clarification.

On Thursday morning, MarketWatch reported that a State Department policy requires U.S. citizens to sign a promissory note for costs of an evacuation. But that rule only applies to U.S. citizens based internationally. Because Puerto Rico is U.S. territory, evacuations are not under the State Department's jurisdiction.

No comments: