More than 100 criminal illegal immigrants from Haiti have been deported as the Trump administration continues its effort to remove foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes from the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement successfully completed a deportation flight to Haiti on July 16, returning more than 100 Haitian nationals with criminal records.
According to DHS, those removed included individuals convicted of crimes such as child sexual abuse, carjacking, drug trafficking, and fraud.
“Last week, ICE deported pedophiles, carjackers, drug traffickers and perpetrators of fraud to Haiti,” Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
“Criminal illegal aliens have NO place in American communities. Our message to illegal aliens is clear: LEAVE NOW. If you don’t, we will find you and deport you,” she added.
The deportation flight comes after a significant legal development. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Haitians granted Temporary Protected Status cannot rely on federal courts to block their return to Haiti while legal challenges continue. According to Fox News, roughly 520,000 Haitians currently live in the United States under TPS protections.
While immigration enforcement continues, the United States is also supporting international efforts to stabilize Haiti, where gangs continue to dominate large sections of the country.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz recently outlined several areas where the United States is working with international partners to confront the ongoing crisis.
Among those efforts, Waltz said the United States intends to disrupt gangs’ use of social media platforms to issue threats, spread intimidation, and recruit children.
He described the online content produced by Haitian gangs as “incredibly disturbing,” although he did not provide specific details about how those efforts would be carried out.
Waltz also urged additional international support for the U.N.-backed multinational security mission operating in Haiti. He encouraged other nations to help transport troops to the country and provide additional assistance as security forces attempt to regain control from heavily armed gangs.
To illustrate the danger facing Haitian police, Waltz pointed to a recent attack in which officers became trapped after their armored vehicle became stuck in a ditch.
According to Waltz, gang members set the vehicle on fire, forcing the officers to flee before they were captured and killed.
“They were flayed alive on the streets,” Waltz said, adding that the officers’ bodies were later pinned to the burned-out vehicle.
“I want everyone to understand the fight ahead,” he said.
Jack Christofides, the special representative overseeing the U.N.-backed mission, cautioned that restoring order will not happen quickly.
“The political and humanitarian environment nevertheless remains extremely challenging,” Christofides said. “Armed gangs are likely to adapt their tactics to stay in control.”
Waltz also emphasized that the mission needs additional heavy equipment, including bulldozers capable of clearing barricades and helping security forces enter gang-controlled neighborhoods.
He argued that Haiti’s instability is not simply a regional issue but one with direct implications for the United States.
“Haiti’s just a few hundred miles from Florida,” Waltz said, according to The Associated Press. “In that regard, it’s a critical interest to the United States.”
