By Cesar Flores
“Amid simultaneous humanitarian, security and health crises, Haiti finds itself in a critical state where there is an urgent need for empathy and understanding by the international community.
With a lack of a functioning government and the ever-increasing dominance of gangs in the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince, the conditions in Haiti are dire, necessitating a compassionate approach that refrains from deporting Haitian refugees scattered globally, as they escape the many hardships faced in their homeland.
Despite this, the Biden administration has taken a hypocritical and confusing stance toward the state of affairs in Haiti. In July of this year, the administration issued a travel advisory, warning U.S. citizens about the perilous situation in the country and explicitly cautioning against travel due to the elevated risk of being kidnapped for ransom or otherwise attacked by members of Haitian criminal gangs.
A few days afterward, the U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of family members of U.S. government employees and non-emergency personnel from Haiti, underscoring the gravity of the security concerns.
Nonetheless, their actions have demonstrated a stark contrast to their advisories. As recently as Nov. 30, ICE Air Operations carried out the 289th deportation flight under the Biden administration to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
By continuing to deport Haitian refugees, the Biden administration is demonstrating total and utter indifference towards the profound threats the refugees encounter, jeopardizing not only their physical and mental health but also their very lives and fundamental personal liberties.”