First group of 21 deportees under Trump arrives in Haiti 

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti received its first group of deportees under the Trump administration on Tuesday, Feb. 4. A total of 21 individuals, including 12 convicted criminals from prisons and nine undocumented, landed at Cap-Haïtien International Airport. The deportees, who had already been processed under the Biden administration, were received by the National Office of Migration (ONM) and the Haitian National Police.

According to Kerlande Desauguste, the ONM’s regional head, the office provided food, water and a sum of 5,000 gourdes, around $40, to help each person travel back to their homes from the migration office at the airport.

“This is the first group of deportees we’ve received since Trump took office,” confirmed Desauguste. “We processed their paperwork and arranged for their transport.”

The group, which included some undocumented migrants detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and individuals with criminal records who had left Haiti years ago, faced immediate challenges upon arrival. 

Many said they were treated unfairly and that U.S. authorities confiscated their belongings, including passports.

“I fought my case for 20 years, changed many lawyers, but nothing worked, and today they deported me,” said one deportee, who said he had an asylum case pending.

Another deportee described being detained for nine months. “I entered the U.S. using the CBP One app. At my hearing, they asked for evidence I couldn’t provide because ICE had taken my phone,” he said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

The immigrants were processed in a makeshift facility at the airport — a repurposed shipping container painted blue and white, with minimal seating and workspace. Despite government assurances of better reception measures, media outlets such as Radio Métronome criticized authorities for their lack of preparedness.

According to reports, no special provisions were made to support the group’s reintegration. Many returnees faced uncertain futures in a country grappling with gang violence and a declining economy for six consecutive years.

As Trump’s mass deportation policy looms, Kathia Verdier, Haiti’s minister of Haitians Living Abroad, met with ONM officials to discuss government responses and ways to assist returnees. Plans included psychosocial support, better coordination among public institutions and collaborations with international organizations.

Despite these commitments, implementation has been lacking, said local observers.

The deportations come amid Trump’s renewed crackdown on immigrants, which could affect up to 1.5 million Haitians living in the U.S., including 150,000 with Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Leslie Voltaire, president of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), described Trump’s measures as “catastrophic” for Haiti.

“I don’t think Trump cares about Haiti. Trump says he will deport all of them,” said Voltaire, highlighting Haiti’s inability to handle such a large influx of returnees amid hunger and insecurity.

It remains unclear whether this group of 21 deportees signals the beginning of any larger campaign targeting Haitians specifically. Since President Trump’s return to the White House on Jan. 20, the U.S. has deported numbers of Mexican, Venezuelan and Colombian immigrants.

For Haitians who have long relied on U.S. support, the situation is alarming. On top of deportations, cutting security support funding has added another layer to the country’s multidimensional crisis. The freeze on $13.3 million in U.S. financial aid to the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) and the suspension of assistance through USAID jeopardize efforts to address the nation’s crises.

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