Diplomat lays out US plans for Haiti, says stability key to curbing collapse and migration

Haiti’s stability is directly tied to United States national security, the top U.S. diplomat in the Caribbean country told lawmakers during a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Henry Wooster warned that without urgent security gains, the country risks collapse and mass migration.

“Our objective in Haiti is one word: stability,” said Wooster, chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.

During his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Wooster defined stability as preventing “collapse of the state” and avoiding “mass illegal migration onto U.S. shores.” Every element of U.S. policy toward Haiti, he said, is anchored to that goal.

“As we counter the destabilizers, deploy the international force and invest strategically,” he said. “Haiti can regain the capacity to secure its own homeland — benefiting U.S. interests and the entire region.”

The hearing comes nearly two months after Congress passed the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025, a new provision in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — marking a significant shift in United States foreign policy toward Haiti.

Security as the “prime mover”

Wooster described Haiti’s crisis as driven by a coalition of roughly 20 armed groups that he said are operating as “proto-insurgent movements.” He estimated the total gang population at about 12,000 people, with roughly 3,000 posing the greatest threat.

By comparison, the Haitian National Police (PNH) has about 6,000 officers on its payroll, Wooster said, but “maximally 400 do most of the fighting.”

“If we don’t have security,” he told senators, “the other issues we might be able to talk about today are materially relevant only in the sense that they are academic concerns. Security is the keystone in the arch.”

Armed groups control or influence an estimated 90% of Haiti’s capital, according to testimony presented at the hearing. Nearly 1.4 million people are displaced, 63% of state-run inpatient health facilities in the capital are closed or operating at partial capacity and more than 5.9 million Haitians face acute food insecurity.

Minors make up roughly half of Haiti’s gang members, the speakers said.

UN-backed force set to deploy

Wooster outlined U.S. support for a multinational mission backed by the U.N. Security Council known as the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), which is expected to deploy 5,500 uniformed personnel.

The first units are scheduled to arrive April 1, with full operational capability targeted by September, he said. The mission’s mandate includes neutralizing and deterring gangs, securing critical infrastructure and strengthening Haitian security forces.

The chargé d’affaires emphasized the force is not a traditional U.N. peacekeeping operation but operates under a Chapter VII resolution —[adopted for peace under Articles 39-51 of the U.N. Charter]—and is overseen by a standing group of partner nations chaired by the U.S.

Lawmakers raised concerns about past international missions, including allegations of misconduct and human rights abuses. Wooster said participating units undergo screening, U.N. human rights due diligence and U.S. Leahy vetting to prevent individuals implicated in abuses from deploying.

Private military contractors questioned

Senators also pressed Wooster about the presence of private military contractors working under contract with the Haitian government, including Vectus Global— a company linked to Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL with a history of human rights abuses.

Wooster said the contract is between the Haitian government and the company, not the U.S. He described the contractors as providing capabilities Haitian forces lack, including night operations and drone use in urban combat. Without experienced personnel, he warned, Haiti would be “much closer” to state collapse.

Some senators expressed concern that expanded use of private contractors could damage U.S. credibility, citing past controversies in Iraq.

Corruption and elections remain obstacles

Beyond security, Wooster acknowledged that governance failures and corruption continue to undermine stability.

“It’s been a decade since Haiti’s last elections,” he said, noting that the mandate of the Transitional Presidential Council expired days before the hearing.

The council approved a decree setting elections for 2026, but lawmakers questioned whether security conditions would allow credible voting.

“The Achilles’ heel in Haiti remains the actions and orientation of the political elite,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Rep. OK), who chaired the panel, said.

Wooster said long-term stability requires an elected government that is “chosen by and beholden to its people.”

Aid, jobs and migration in geopolitics at play 

Lawmakers debated the effectiveness of U.S. aid programs and the recent pause in efforts to terminate Temporary Protected Status (PTS) for Haitians.

Wooster stressed that economic opportunity is essential to prevent young Haitians from joining gangs or attempting migration.

“With seven consecutive years of economic contraction, many younger Haitians view gangs as the only reliable source of income,” he said.

He pointed to trade preference programs supporting Haiti’s textile and apparel industry as critical to sustaining jobs. He also reiterated that the U.S. has more influence on Haiti than any other power in the world.

“Guns alone won’t win it,” Wooster said. “When the guns go quiet, there must be an economy in place. People have to believe they can put shoes on their baby’s feet and food on the table.”

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