André Michel announces presidential run hours after being barred from US-bound flight

CAP-HAÏTIEN — Embattled Haitian politician and lawyer André Michel announced July 27 on X that he will run for president in the next elections, hours after being denied entry to a flight bound for Miami, Florida.  

“I announce my presidential ambitions for the next elections,” Michel posted. “I will carry out a political project in which I will focus on security, economic and social development, and national sovereignty. Eliminating those armed gangs is my first priority! We will destroy the gangs!”

J’annonce mes ambitions présidentielles pour les prochaines élections. Je porterai un projet politique axé sur la sécurité,le développement économique et Social,la souveraineté Nationale.L’élimination des gangs armés est ma première priorité! Nou pa nan Dyalòg ak Gang!

— Me. André Michel (@avokapepla) July 27, 2025

Michel’s travel issues began on July 26, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) allegedly barred him from boarding a Cap-Haïtien–Miami flight. A Sunrise Airways source— who requested anonymity to avoid being in the political spotlight— confirmed the denial to The Haitian Times but emphasized that the airline had no knowledge of the reason and does not maintain a list of politicians with revoked visas.

Rumors circulated online that Michel was part of a visa revocation list held by Sunrise due to alleged ties to Haiti’s instability. However, the source dismissed those reports as false.

According to different local media reports, Sunrise Airways informed Michel that his U.S. visa had been canceled based on instructions received from U.S. Customs. He was not even allowed to pass through immigration at the Cap-Haïtien airport.

This isn’t the first time Michel’s U.S. visa has been revoked. He faced a similar ban in April 2015. Likewise, several other Haitian political figures have had their visas canceled by U.S. authorities in the past, only to have them reinstated later without transparency or explanation.

The longtime activist lawyer rose to prominence on Haiti’s political scene during the decade (2011-2021) of the Tèt Kale political party (PHTK) regime. He played a central role in several high-profile legal cases involving government officials and was one of the leading voices of opposition and mobilization against the administrations of both Michel Martelly and Jovenel Moïse.

However, the popular support he once built as the self-styled  “avoka pèp la” or “people’s lawyer” quickly started to erode when he joined Ariel Henry’s transitional government after Moise’s assassination. He became one of Henry’s most vocal supporters—even as the latter’s administration struggled to meet the most basic needs of Haitians as the gang-fueled insecurity climate worsened. Since then, Michel has faced strong criticism from many Haitians, especially on social media, where he often shares his views on current affairs.

Criticism and accusations of fueling destabilization in Haiti for self-interest

Many have criticized him for his role in Haiti’s political turbulence. He was often at the center of turmoil and violent anti-government protests in the early 2020s and is frequently accused—without evidence—of links to Moïse’s 2021 assassination.

On July 25, Michel took to X to reject those accusations and shift the blame toward members of Moïse’s inner circle.

“Stop doing politics with Jovenel Moïse’s corpse,” he wrote. “The assassins were behind Jovenel; they were next to him. André Michel’s words did not kill Jovenel. Why are Martine Moïse [the late president’s wife], Léon Charles [former police chief], and Dimitri Herard [former palace security chief] hiding from the justice system?”

The Haitian lawyer’s travel denial came less than a week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested businessman and political figure Pierre Réginald Boulos in Florida, accusing him of immigration fraud and gang ties. Boulos, who had also been linked to Moïse’s assassination, was found to have omitted founding a political party on his residency application. He is now facing deportation.

Following Boulos’s arrest, Moïse’s son, Jovenel Moïse, cryptically posted “Ti pa, ti pa” (“Step by step”) on social media—fueling speculation that more arrests were imminent.

𝙏𝙞 𝙥𝙖, 𝙏𝙞 𝙥𝙖…

— Joverlein Moïse (@joverleinmo) July 19, 2025

These actions come amid a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on Haitian nationals and elites allegedly involved in Haiti’s ongoing violence. In addition to Boulos and Michel’s cases, at least four deportation flights have left the U.S. in recent months, and dozens of undocumented Haitians have been detained.

On July 21, the State Department announced it would deport anyone, including lawful permanent residents, found to be supporting gangs or criminal networks in Haiti.

Michel previously ran for president in 2015, earning less than 0.1% of the vote. Despite his low showing, he remains a controversial and visible figure in Haitian politics.

As Haiti prepares for elections that are supposed to be held before Feb. 7, 2026, Michel’s candidacy—and the recent moves by U.S. authorities—signal that political tensions, international scrutiny and questions of accountability will remain front and center.

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