The first group of Haitian migrants deported under U.S. President Donald Trump’s new immigration policies arrived in Haiti on Tuesday. The plane landed at Cap-Haitien, the only functioning airport in the country, as deportations continue under a series of executive orders signed during Trump’s second term.
Among those returned was Mario Montès, who had been living and working in Alaska for nearly a year before being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Miami.
“I was on my way to work when immigration officers stopped me,” Montès recounted. “They told me there were new policies and that I needed to reapply for some papers. But when I arrived at their office, I was handcuffed and told I was being sent back to my country.”
Mass Deportations Under Trump’s New Orders
In the first week of Trump’s second term, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported the deportation of over 7,300 migrants of various nationalities. This crackdown comes as Haiti faces an escalating crisis, with rampant gang violence making it one of the most unstable countries in the region.
Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas have been plagued by armed gangs, who have killed at least 40 people in recent days, including residents of upscale neighborhoods. The United Nations reported that in 2023 alone, over 5,600 people were killed and more than 2,200 injured due to gang-related violence.
Haiti’s Growing Humanitarian Crisis
As violence surges, more than a million people have been displaced, leaving many Haitians struggling to survive amid widespread poverty, food shortages, and a collapsing security system. The mass deportations from the U.S. have only added to the turmoil, forcing returnees to navigate an already desperate situation with limited resources.
With the Haitian government struggling to control the violence, international organizations have raised concerns about the future of the country and the fate of thousands more migrants who may soon be deported.
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