The Biden administration on Thursday sent the first deportation flights to Haiti in months — even as the country remains embroiled in bloodthirsty gang violence that has taken over much of the country. According to the border report.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has repatriated about 50 Haitians to the Caribbean country, operating the first deportation flight to Haiti since January 2023, when it began operating monthly flights. According to border witnessestrack deportation flights.
The plane departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, the epicenter of the deportation operation, stopping in Miami before arriving in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, the group said.
Meanwhile, armed groups continue to siege Haiti, attacking parts of the capital Port-au-Prince on Sunday ahead of the installation of a transitional government, Reuters reported.
Gangs have looted medical facilities at the National University of Haiti, cutting off supply routes and leading to shortages of fuel, food and essential goods, Reuters reported, citing radio RFM.
“DHS is monitoring the situation in Haiti and is working closely with the State Department and international partners. At this time, there is an irregular flow of migrants through the Caribbean and an irregular flow of Haitian nationals at the southwest border. Encounters remain low,” a DHS spokesperson told the Post.
As gang violence began to escalate in Haiti in March, Border Patrol agents in Miami were alerted to the possibility of Haitian migrants showing up on the Florida coast, according to internal agency emails previously obtained by the newspaper. It is said that he was
“A single landing will render the station inoperable and reduce its ability to accommodate other traffic,” the email to staff said.
“Irregular migrant journeys, especially maritime routes, are extremely dangerous, unforgiving, and often result in loss of life. We will implement the laws and policies of the country.
“The policy of the United States is to deport noncitizens who do not have an established legal basis to remain in the United States.”
Many of Haiti’s gangs have banded together under the name “Viv Ansamm” (Communal Life) to take over the capital.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry has said he will resign on March 11, but no political structure has yet been established to replace him. According to Reuters, gangs have already taken over about 90% of Port-au-Prince, displacing an estimated 360,000 people.
