Staff Reports
The Biden administration recently deported approximately 50 Haitians back to their homeland, a nation grappling with escalating gang violence. The Department of Homeland Security affirmed its commitment to uphold U.S. laws and policies across various regions, including the Florida Straits, the Caribbean, and the southwest border, which involves returning noncitizens lacking legal grounds to remain in the United States.
According to an advocacy group monitoring flight data, a plane originating from Louisiana made a stop in Miami before reaching Cap-Haitien, Haiti. The deportation stirred distress among some, including a U.S. citizen whose Haitian fiancé, residing in the U.S. for over two decades and with a U.S. citizen daughter, faced removal. Despite attempts to reopen his asylum case through legal channels, the man, previously convicted of theft and burglary, faced deportation.
U.S. deports about 50 Haitians to nation hit with gang violence, ending monthslong pause in flights https://t.co/pIHeaA7UsN
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) April 19, 2024
Haiti grapples with severe challenges, notably a surge in gang-related violence prompting a mass exodus from the capital. While the U.S. conducted monthly deportation flights to Haiti from December 2022 to January 2023, such operations dwindled as fewer Haitians crossed the Mexican border unlawfully. Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 65 Haitians intercepted at sea near the Bahamas last month.
Amid escalating political discourse surrounding immigration, the Biden administration underscores enforcement, contemplating executive measures to suspend asylum applications during periods of heightened illegal crossings. This stance emerges amidst Republican scrutiny over surging border arrests and the administration's immigration management.
