The Biden report card for Haitian American voters

NEW YORK — As the 2024 presidential elections arrive, Haitian American voters are looking at how President Joe Biden performed on key promises he made to the community back in 2020. By one measure, The Haitian Times/CHIP50 survey, Biden has delivered – with 44% of Haitian Americans viewing the Biden-Harris administration’s impact on Haiti positively. Another 16% of Haitian Americans feel the Biden-Harris policies have had a negative effect on Haiti. 

With Biden’s term nearing an end, here’s a look at how his specific promises to the Haitian community have panned out in three areas pledged in 2020: immigration, domestic issues and foreign policy toward Haiti. 

IMMIGRATION

Promise #1: Extending and expanding TPS for Haitians

What Biden promised

Biden pledged to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants fleeing natural disasters or political instability. It allows them to live and work in the U.S. legally. Biden also said he’d create a pathway to citizenship for long-time TPS holders. 

What happened

Biden’s administration both extended and expanded TPS for Haitians in 2022 and 2024 as turmoil continued to erupt in Haiti. Biden also used his office to launch the humanitarian parole process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV ), known as “the Biden Program.” It allows U.S. citizens and legal residents to sponsor immigrants who want to move here for two years. About 214,000 Haitians have arrived through that program, with many eligible applying for and receiving TPS after its 2024 extension. 

In all, TPS redesignations protect more than 300,000 Haitians from deportation or falling out of legal status. However, efforts to provide a clear citizenship path through a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform died in Congress earlier this year. 

Promise #2: Halting Deportations of Haitian Migrants

What Biden promised

Biden pledged to halt the deportation of Haitians and ensure due process in asylum claims, particularly reversing Trump-era policies such as Title 42 that allowed for expedited expulsions without asylum hearings.

What happened

Despite initial attempts to pause deportations, the Biden administration continued to expel thousands of Haitians, especially during the 2021 migrant crisis in Del Rio, Texas. This sparked significant backlash, with advocates criticizing the administration’s use of Title 42.

DOMESTIC MATTERS

Promise #3: Economic recovery from the pandemic

What Biden promised

Candidate Biden pledged to extend crisis unemployment insurance for those who lost work and an aid package for small businesses impacted by the pandemic through his Build Back Better plan.

What happened

Biden’s administration took several steps toward economic recovery. The American Rescue Plan (ARP), for one, expanded unemployment benefits and offered financial relief to businesses and families impacted by the pandemic.

However, several proposals of the “Build Back Better” agenda aimed to further extend unemployment insurance and direct aid to small businesses stalled in Congress. Instead, the administration prioritized tax credits and health insurance subsidies, including expanding child tax credits.

Promise #4: Uplift Black communities  

What Biden promised

Implement the “Lift Every Voice” plan for Black America, which included reducing the racial wealth gap, expanding access to education and reforming the criminal justice system. 

What happened

Biden’s efforts included investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and funding for African American cultural institutions. The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity for Black Americans was established, and federal support for Juneteenth celebrations and cultural preservation was expanded. Criminal justice reforms included reduced sentences for nonviolent offenses and funding for reentry programs to support formerly incarcerated people. 

Critics say these measures, while positive, have not significantly closed the racial wealth gap, decreased the federal prison population or spurred sustainable economic growth in underrepresented communities. They say the Biden administration also fell far short of big criminal justice promises.

Also, due to political divisions, broader changes in areas like job creation and systemic inequality remain limited.

Promise #4: Better access to health care insurance coverage  

What Biden promised

Expand the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by adding a public health insurance option.

What happened

President Biden’s administration expanded ACA coverage, but has fallen short of the public option he promised. Biden’s initiatives, including the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), increased ACA Marketplace enrollment by over 50%, making healthcare more affordable and accessible to millions through enhanced subsidies. Medicaid and CHIP saw a 28.6% enrollment surge by 2023, partly due to COVID-era provisions, leading to the lowest uninsured rate since the ACA’s inception. 

However, Biden’s campaign pledge to add a public insurance option fell through. Instead, the administration has focused on targeted reforms such as fixing the “family glitch” to make subsidies more accessible for dependents, and regulatory adjustments to support state-level healthcare innovations, like Colorado’s public option initiative. Other ACA expansion measures remain stalled in Congress. 

FOREIGN POLICY TOWARD HAITI

Promise #5: Ensuring accountability and transparency in US aid to Haiti

What Biden promised

Biden vowed to implement stricter oversight for U.S. aid to Haiti, ensuring funds went directly to aid Haitian people and not to corrupt entities.

What happened

While Biden’s administration did send financial aid following crises in Haiti, including earthquake relief and COVID-19 assistance, critics argue that accountability measures remain weak. The effectiveness of aid distribution has been hampered by ongoing gang violence, political instability, and logistical challenges.

Promise #6: Supporting democratic elections in Haiti

What Biden promised

Biden highlighted the importance of free and fair elections in Haiti, with a commitment to support Haitian-led democratic processes.

What happened

Political progress has been slow. Although Biden’s administration encouraged the Haitian government to hold elections, these plans were repeatedly postponed amid violence and instability. Critics believe that the U.S. could have applied more pressure on Haitian authorities to prioritize governance and democracy-building.

Promise #7: Addressing humanitarian needs and security in Haiti 

What Biden promised

Biden committed to addressing Haiti’s humanitarian needs, linking Haiti’s stability with U.S. national security.

What happened

Biden has provided some aid through the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), which included partnering with Kenya and other international forces for security support in Haiti. Yet, many Haitians feel abandoned as gang violence continues unabated, causing mass displacement and chaos.

Also, the U.S. State Department has been inconsistent in its approach to a “Haitain-led solution” that diplomats initially called for after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Several proposals Haitians put forth, such as the Montana Accord, failed to gain international support. Instead, an American-led multinational effort pushed for a Caricom-led transition government that many observers say will likely fail.

The post The Biden report card for Haitian American voters appeared first on The Haitian Times.

---

The Biden report card for Haitian American voters was first posted on October 30, 2024 at 2:30 pm.