FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 19, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT: 

e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

c: 202.913.0126

With an Increase in Gang Violence and the Humanitarian Crisis Worsening in Haiti, Members are Extremely Concerned about Haitian Immigrants Targeted by the Trump Administration

Washington, D.C. — House Haiti Caucus and Congressional Caribbean Caucus Co-Chairs, Congresswomen Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), and Stacey E. Plaskett (VI) sent a letter to the Biden Administration and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the administration to immediately halt all deportations, combat illicit arms trafficking, and deliver humanitarian aid and resources to Haiti.

In November, Clarke and the Haiti Caucus renewed calls for the administration to suspend deportations due to increased gang activity and attacks on commercial airlines further destabilizing the island. As the situation continues to deteriorate, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned all U.S. flights to Haiti, initially for 30 days, and now extended through March 2025. Most recently, Haitian officials confirmed a gang leader, who controls a portion of a key port in Haiti’s capital, is accused of massacring 100 people within the Cité Soleil neighborhood, and armed men attacked and destroyed a hospital in Port-au-Prince, putting the Haitian people at greater risk and underscoring the need for a comprehensive humanitarian response from the United States. Furthermore, back in March 2024, the State Department issued a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti, citing high rates of kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited healthcare.

“The people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora have suffered enough, and we urge you to take any necessary action to protect lives and ensure Haiti has the support it needs. These people are not threats to public safety: they are innocent victims seeking refuge from violence and instability. Deporting them during this crisis endangers their lives and undermines our nation’s commitment to human rights and humanitarian values,” the Members wrote.

“This situation demands your utmost urgency as we are extremely concerned about Haitian immigrants becoming targets under the incoming administration and their announced plans to expand mass deportation and weaponize immigration policy—compromising marginalized communities and our country’s commitment to fairness and inclusivity.”

Read the full letter here.

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