April 22nd 2024.
On April 18, in the midst of turmoil and unrest in Haiti, the Biden administration made the controversial decision to deport approximately 50 Haitian individuals back to their home country. This marked the first deportation flight from the United States to Haiti in several months and was met with criticism from various advocacy groups.
According to the Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security stated that they were simply following their policy of returning noncitizens to their home countries if they did not have a legal basis to stay in the U.S. This policy includes enforcing laws and policies in the Florida Straits, Caribbean region, and the southwest border. The statement declared, "U.S. policy is to return noncitizens who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States."
In March, over 480 human rights organizations sent a letter to the Biden administration, requesting several concessions for Haitian migrants. These included the immediate release of detained Haitian individuals, a pause on deportations, the closure of any pending deportations, and the creation of a new Temporary Protected Status for Haitian migrants already in the U.S.
Last week, the Haitian Bridge Alliance convened in Geneva, Switzerland, to speak to the United Nations. During the meeting, they called out the Biden administration for their deliberate and forceful deportations to Haiti. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley also spoke out against the deportations, calling them "unacceptable" and "nothing short of a death sentence." She urged President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas to re-designate TPS for Haiti and halt all deportations immediately.
Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick also expressed her disapproval, stating that the decision to resume deportations to Haiti during these circumstances was "an act of atrocious cruelty." She called on the Biden-Harris administration to reverse this decision and put an end to deportations.
The letter from the human rights organizations also highlighted the dangerous conditions in Haiti, stating that if the U.S. could not keep their own personnel safe there, then there was little chance the Haitian government could keep deported individuals safe. A spokesperson for DHS confirmed that while the U.S. had not been able to deport individuals via plane before April 18, they have been repatriating them via boat. This is in line with their policy to immediately repatriate those interdicted at sea.
However, advocates for Haitian migrants argue that this is not enough, as these individuals are still being sent back to a country experiencing widespread violence. They also point out the hypocrisy of the U.S. refusing to provide TPS to Haitian migrants when they extended the program to Venezuelan migrants in 2023, despite conditions in Venezuela being less dangerous.
Gurline Jozef, a human rights advocate and co-founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, spoke out against the U.S.'s claims that accepting Haitian migrants into the TPS system would lead to a mass migration event. She stated that it is almost impossible to leave Haiti and that there is no excuse to send anyone back there right now. She believes the U.S. is using this as an excuse for their inexcusable actions, as the entire country is unstable.
In light of the recent surge in gang violence in Haiti, Americans living there are struggling to find ways to escape. It is clear that the situation in Haiti is dire, and the United States needs to take immediate action to protect Haitian individuals seeking refuge in their country.
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