Recent events show the impact of the Trump administration’s deportation policies.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic have found the bodies of four Haitian women. Their bodies were discovered near the country’s southern border with Haiti. The women had been killed and decapitated.
According to a report from Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día, the four women had been deported from Puerto Rico over a period ranging from two to just over three months before their murders occurred. Leonard Prophil, a community leader and spokesperson for Haitians in Puerto Rico, clarified that the women had been missing for two weeks by the time authorities discovered their bodies, as reported by Latin Times.
Prophil explained that the women arrived in Puerto Rico in December 2024 and lived in the neighborhoods of Barrio Obrero and Puerto Nuevo, areas in San Juan known for large immigrant populations. Their deportations occurred between late February and early April 2025, based on when they had entered the country and subsequent removal actions.
“One of them was deported approximately two months ago, and the others about three months and fifteen days ago,” Prophil said, specifying the distinct removal times: one woman around late March, the others in early March 2025.
The community leader said the deaths may be linked to gangs that kidnap women and demand ransom from their families. Prophil stated, “Deporting them may put their lives at risk,” addressing American authorities who deported the four women. He encouraged the U.S. government to consider the potential impact of its actions: “If the government wants to help, it should help these people legalize their status, because each deportation may place individuals at risk.”
Dominican Authorities Arrest a Suspect
Authorities in the Dominican Republic announced the arrest of a young Haitian man identified as Chin Laduse. He is suspected of being connected to the crimes.
According to initial reports, the killers murdered the women and threw their bodies into a river. The current carried the bodies to the area where they were discovered.
Immigration enforcement operations in the United States have reached Puerto Rico. For months, federal agents have targeted neighborhoods with many immigrants, especially Dominicans and Haitians, as reported by Latin Times.
The EFE news agency estimates that 20,000 undocumented people live in Puerto Rico.
Last November, the Puerto Rico government gave federal authorities confidential data about 6,000 immigrants who registered for driver’s licenses.
Vehicle registration data helps authorities monitor vehicles and people. Immigration officers can identify people by searching license plates or using automated readers.
Tracking vehicles and linking records to nationality helps authorities. This makes deportation efforts easier.
This incident highlights the difficult situation for many Haitians: returning to Haiti today can lead to significant danger. The country is under the control of armed gangs that kidnap, kill, and extort people daily. While the situation in the Dominican Republic is different, the Trump administration’s ongoing deportation policies have led Haitian communities in the United States and American territories to raise concerns about the safety of those being deported and the actions of the authorities involved.
Source: Latin Times
