State of play: Senators urged the Biden administration on Tuesday to appoint an international special envoy to Haiti and to work with international partners in order to provide protections for Haitian migrants as well as solutions to ensure “long-term stability” for Haiti.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (and Sens. Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren (D.Mass.) The letter was also signed by Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
The big picture: Last month, Biden’s administration was under increased scrutiny for its treatment of thousands upon thousands of Haitian migrants who gathered in Del Rio (Texas). Many were deported under Title 42. This Trump-era policy allows the government speed up deportations during a pandemic.
Many Haitian migrants arrived at the U.S. Border fleeing poverty, disaster, and political unrest.
Haiti is currently experiencing political instability due to the assassination and subsequent earthquakes that killed over 2,200 people and left 12,000 others injured.
Catch up fast: Daniel Foote, former special representative to Haiti, resigned last month saying that he would not be associated with “the United States’ inhumane and counterproductive decision to expel thousands of Haitian refugees.”
They are saying that their Haitian brothers and sister have suffered dictatorships and constitutional crises, food shortages, natural disasters and forced displacement over the course of their lives. The senators also wrote that the President was assassinated and that their communities were taken over by the criminals.
“Their resilience and the success of our American communities is unmatched, and they are a direct result of the presence and support of American children and Haitian immigrants.”
“Ensuring U.S. borders are secure is paramount, but it is not incompatible to the fundamental duty to respect dignity, humanity, rights, and the rights of all persons seeking entry into the United States.”
