U.S. Deportations: Haiti Receives First Group of Nationals Expelled Under Donald Trump

Mederson Alcindor

A first wave of over twenty Haitians arrived in Cap-Haïtien on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, after being deported from the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration.

These Haitians, many of whom had lived in the United States for years, now find themselves in a country where the vast majority of the population faces economic hardship.

Among them, some had been living undocumented in the U.S., while others had served long prison sentences for criminal offenses.

Upon their arrival at Cap-Haïtien Airport, these Haitian nationals were received by the Office National de Migration (ONM), which provided them with 5,000 gourdes, approximately 50 U.S. dollars. This emergency aid, although largely symbolic, sparked reactions from human rights activists and observers, who criticized it as insufficient given the gravity of the situation.

The mass deportations of Haitian nationals are part of a strict immigration policy enforced by Donald Trump.

For weeks, the U.S. president had signaled his intent to deport thousands of Haitians living  in the United States without proper legal immigration status. This Tuesday’s deportation marks a significant step in the enforcement of that policy.

However, one major question remains: what measures have Haitian authorities taken to assist these returnees in their reintegration process? According to multiple sources, the Haitian government appears to lack any concrete strategy to provide meaningful support to these deported nationals. Instead, officials seem to be relying on symbolic gestures, without a clear plan to facilitate their social and economic reintegration.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Haitians Living Abroad, who were in the United States last week, appear to have taken a passive stance on the issue, leaving deportees to fend for themselves. Civil society organizations are strongly condemning this lack of a structured action plan, criticizing the Haitian government’s incompetence in handling the growing migration crisis.

Critics emphasize that Haiti’s leadership has failed to prepare for the expected surge in deportations, particularly as Donald Trump begins his new four-year term in the White House, during which more Haitians are likely to be repatriated.

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