SAN DIEGO, CMC – With lower than two weeks earlier than Donald J. Trump is sworn into workplace as the subsequent president of america, a Haitian group right here is urging the incumbent Joe Biden administration to halt the deportation of Haitians.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has strongly condemned the administration for what it described because the “blatant violation of worldwide and home legal guidelines via the continued deportation of asylum seekers to the Republic of Haiti.”
HBA mentioned that the US Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) has been deporting Haitian nationals who’re searching for asylum.
“These actions undermine america’ long-standing dedication to human rights, due course of, and worldwide obligations below the 1951 Refugee Conference and the 1980 Refugee Act,” mentioned HBA’s govt director, Guerline Jozef.
She mentioned the latest wave of deportations, together with weak Haitian households fleeing violence, persecution, and immense violence, “demonstrates a disturbing disregard for authorized protections assured to asylum seekers below US and worldwide legislation.”
Jozef famous that, in Haiti, greater than 700,000 Haitians have been displaced as a result of gang violence and that greater than 4,000 have been murdered.
She mentioned that, for the previous a number of years, america Division of State has designated the French-speaking Caribbean Group (CARICOM) nation as a “stage 4—don’t journey vacation spot as a result of excessive violence.”
Moreover, Jozef mentioned Washington had evacuated most of its personnel, together with US residents, from the Caribbean. The violence had been so extreme that on December 9, 2024, American Airways introduced that it had indefinitely suspended all flights to Haiti.
“Deporting people to international locations in turmoil, comparable to Haiti, the place political violence, insecurity, and humanitarian crises prevail, contravenes the precept of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to locations the place their lives or freedom could be threatened,” Jozef mentioned.
“It’s unconscionable that the Biden-Harris Administration, which claims to characterize the ‘soul of America,’ is sending Haitian asylum seekers again to Haiti, successfully condemning them to a demise sentence. This administration has repeatedly didn’t uphold its ethical and authorized obligations.
“By perpetuating anti-Black immigrant insurance policies, significantly towards asylum seekers of African descent, the administration continues to violate each home and worldwide legal guidelines,” Josef mentioned, including that Haitian asylum seekers, fleeing unimaginable violence, have a lawful proper to hunt safety.
“Deporting them again to hazard isn’t solely merciless and racist, it’s a blatant violation of the legislation,” she mentioned, urging america Congress, particularly, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, and the Haiti Caucus, to “train its oversight authority and maintain the administration accountable for its failure to stick to the Refugee Act of 1980, which codifies america’ obligations to guard asylum seekers.
“Haitian Bridge Alliance reaffirms its dedication to advocating for the rights and dignity of all asylum seekers, significantly these of African descent, and calls on all human rights teams and the general public to face towards these violations of human rights,” Jozef mentioned.
“Collectively, we should demand that america stay as much as its promise and authorized obligation as a haven for these fleeing persecution and violence,” she added.
Final month, Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke joined US lawmakers and immigration advocates in calling on the Biden administration to guard Black immigrant communities in the course of the uninteresting duck session.
The legislators mentioned they have been significantly involved about how Trump’s proposed immigration insurance policies will affect Black communities and households of blended standing.
Trump, who will probably be sworn in on January 20, has vowed to conduct mass deportation of immigrants, significantly Haitians. He had made the difficulty a central theme of his presidential marketing campaign.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, represents the predominantly Caribbean ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York. She joined her colleagues in sending a letter to Biden urging him to train his present authorized authorities and undertake a number of govt actions.
These embrace extending and redesignating Short-term Protecting Standing (TPS) for at present designated international locations; clearing the TPS processing backlog; finalizing a rule to supply auto-extensions for work permits; taking instant steps to prioritize the processing of labor permits throughout all classes; and designating extraordinary pupil reduction (SSR) to Nigerian F-1 college students finding out in america.
“Throughout President-elect Trump’s earlier time period, we noticed the Trump administration enact detrimental insurance policies, comparable to increasing migrant detention packages and constructing a wall alongside the US-Mexico Border,” the lawmakers wrote of their letter.
“Additional, in 2019, we witnessed Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain migrants at record-high ranges, with Black detainees dealing with abuse at disproportionate charges.
“Together with his pledge to conduct the most important mass deportation in historical past and enlist the navy to hold out this plan, we’re extraordinarily involved that folks of African descent will probably be focused at larger charges,” they added.
HBA has additionally strongly condemned Trump’s reported plans to declare a nationwide emergency to enact a mass deportation program involving Haitian immigrants.
“Such a proposal represents an alarming menace to human rights, the rule of legislation, particularly these searching for asylum and security,” mentioned Jozef, applauding the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for submitting a lawsuit to assemble particular particulars from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) company on how Trump will perform his plan.
Final month, immigration advocates in New York expressed outrage and alarm over proposed plans by the incoming Trump administration to revoke a United States federal coverage that has restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers from arresting Caribbean and different immigrants at or close to “delicate areas,” comparable to homes of worship, colleges, and hospitals with out prior approval from supervisors.
