Haitian newborn’s death in DR highlights abuses in migration system

FORT-LIBERTE —  It was just after 3 a.m. when 23-year-old Mélissa Jean-Baptiste began pounding on the metal door of the cell where she was detained with her weeks-old son. At the Haina Migrant Processing Center in the Dominican Republic, she begged officers to intervene — her newborn was no longer breathing.

Hours later, a statement from the Dominican General Directorate of Immigration said the child experienced “acute respiratory distress, followed by hypotonia and absence of respiration.” 

He was evaluated at the center’s clinic and transferred to Juan Pablo Pina Hospital, where he was pronounced dead before dawn on Nov. 14.

The newborn’s death—the third at the Haina detention facility in 2025—has ignited new alarm about the Dominican Republic’s increasingly punitive migration policies and the conditions in which Haitian migrants are detained. Human rights advocates say the tragedy reflects a broader system where mass deportations, racial discrimination and inadequate medical care disproportionately endanger the most vulnerable.

The baby’s death met with indifference—and disturbing public rhetoric.

In many countries, the death of a newborn in state custody would prompt public outrage. But in the Dominican Republic, online reactions ranged from indifference to explicit hatred.

“Why does it matter if a little animal like that dies? One less…” wrote user Corpus Garcia, in a comment widely shared by Dominicans on social media.

Such dehumanizing rhetoric has become common amid a political climate charged with nationalism and anti-Haitian sentiment. According to the Repatriation and Refugee Support Group (GAAR), Dominican authorities have abruptly deported nearly 220,000 Haitians between January and Oct. 28, 2025, including thousands of women and young children.

A detention center already marred by death, buses refusing Haitian passengers

The Haina center has long faced accusations of overcrowding, neglect and abuse. This year alone:

• June 23: Ellen Francés Hulett, a 24-year-old American woman, was found dead after two months in detention.
• Early September: Gédilia Lonzandieu, a 36-year-old Haitian woman, died of cardiorespiratory arrest inside the facility.

Migrants describe Haina as an unsanitary, overcrowded space with little medical oversight. Testimonies from recent months reveal:

• Inconsistent or nonexistent health care
• Cells with poor ventilation
• Unhygienic bathrooms
• Contaminated or insufficient food
• Reports of gastric infections
• Prolonged detention of women after giving birth.
• Separation of children from their families

“This is not a children’s center,” said Brunie Joseph, deported in October. “It’s a place filled with filth and bacteria.”

Dominican activist Rowiobel Alcántara said the government’s statements “attempt to mask recurring negligence in an institution long known for abuse.”

The tragedy comes amid reports of growing discrimination in daily life. On Oct. 20, Dominican transportation company Utrasars SRL posted a notice:

“It is strictly forbidden to transport Haitian citizens in our vehicles.”

The company claims it aims to avoid fines for carrying undocumented migrants. Human rights defenders call it a blatant act of racial discrimination—one increasingly normalized.

Drivers say they fear losing their jobs if they transport Haitians, even those who are legal residents or workers.

“Haitians are today one of the most despised groups in the Dominican Republic,” said sociologist Wilkens Pierre. “This stems from a colonial racial hierarchy in which the ‘Black Haitian’ is portrayed as poor and dangerous.”

Historical fault lines shape present-day policies

Anti-Haitian sentiment in the Dominican Republic has deep roots, shaped by the legacies of colonialism, nationalism, and racial hierarchy.

The 1937 Parsley Massacre, ordered by dictator Rafael Trujillo, killed an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Haitians along the border. That trauma—and the discriminatory ideologies behind it—continue to influence public policy and social attitudes.

Successive Dominican administrations have used Haiti’s instability to justify stricter migration policies, which human rights groups say increasingly violate international norms.

Ambassador Edwine Paraison said private companies cannot legally deny service based on nationality.

“Document verification is the responsibility of the state,” he said. “The state must guarantee equal access to services.”

As deportations intensify and discriminatory practices deepen, advocates say the newborn’s death symbolizes a broader crisis.

For sociologist Wilkens Pierre, the tragedy reveals the human toll of unchecked policies.

“It’s not just a question of documents,” he said. “It’s a question of dignity. And Haitians are being told—again—that their lives do not matter.”

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