A Haitian legislator has written to United States President Joe Biden, appealing to him to stop the deportation of Haitian migrants and end what he described as “the cruel treatment of Haitians.
“I remain deeply troubled by the treatment of Haitian immigrants arriving at the Texas border as they travel north through South America and are subsequently being deported back to Haiti,” said New York City Council Member Dr. Mathieu Eugene, the first Haitian to be elected to the City Council, in his letter to Biden.
“Since 2010, Haiti has been subjected to several natural disasters, including tropical storms, two catastrophic earthquakes that caused significant devastation, and continued political unrest and socioeconomic instability,” added Eugene, chair of the Council Committee on Civil and Human Rights, who represents the predominantly 40th Council District in Brooklyn.
“With each successive crisis, the rebuilding and recovery process is put into disarray, and the availability of critical resources for the country becomes even more limited.
“As I have stated on many occasions, Haiti is not prepared to handle an influx of deportees,” Eugene wrote in his letter, a copy of which was made available to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“The country is hurting, and the Haitian people are struggling every day to cope with a substantial amount of personal loss, including emotional and physical trauma, and financial uncertainty.
“Sending Haitian immigrants back to Haiti will only worsen the ongoing situation and will also increase the burden on their family members living in the United States, many of whom have established careers here,” he said.
“They are doctors, nurses, cab drivers, medical professionals, business owners, teachers and entrepreneurs. Their work has supported our national economy for generations, and they have served a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic when the labor of our essential workers helped get our city, our state and our country through the darkest days of this public health crisis.”
The legislator said the Haitian refugees, who are traveling through Mexico into Texas, are “enduring extremely unsafe living conditions and are putting their lives at risk.
“They are human beings, and they have embarked on a very dangerous and treacherous journey to reach what they hope is a safe and stable environment. I am urging you to stop their deportation, to help them, and to give Haitian immigrants the due process that they are entitled to.
“It is an important humanitarian gesture to accept Haitian immigrants in the United States because it aligns with the principles and philosophy that this country was founded on. We are known around the world as a beacon of freedom, liberty and opportunity for all who seek it, and it is heart-breaking to witness the violent treatment of Haitian refugees at the border, knowing that this type of attack on human dignity should no longer occur in modern-day America.”
Eugene said he remains confident that the Biden administration will do what is right for these immigrants because this situation is sending the wrong message to the global community about the values that the United States upholds.
Over the last weekend, New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general across the United States in dispatching a letter to President Biden and US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the situation.
In their letter, the attorneys general are calling on the Biden administration to ensure US federal officials treat Haitian refugees with dignity and compassion.
CMC
