The Haitian Plight – A Long Journey to Nowhere

Plagued with corruption, poverty, political instability, and natural disasters, Haiti currently stands as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. In the last few decades alone, thousands of Haitians have attempted to flee the tiny island nation in search of a better life elsewhere. Throughout their journey, they have experienced discrimination and tribulation as they travelled through South America and, in recent months, towards the United States. As a result, Haitians, now clustered at the Mexico - U.S border, have few options left. This circumstance has not only created a humanitarian crisis but reveals a more extensive issue in which governments, specifically that of the United States, have demonstrated an abuse of immigration policies and an unwillingness to welcome refugees.

 This situation began in 2010 after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince. The earthquake devastated much of the nation, killing over 200,000 and reaching an economic cost of $14 billion. As a result, Haitians fled to South America, where many settled in Brazil and Chile. Both countries boast strong economies compared to their regional neighbours and were thus attractive destinations for the recent refugees. In addition, Brazil was nearing the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, which promised jobs and a stable income, at least until the games were over.

 South of Brazil, Haitians regarded Chile as an ideal destination to settle. They were sold on the ‘Chilean dream,’ citing opportunities for a stable and consistent income and a relaxed entry policy. From 2012 to 2020, the number of Haitians living in Chile grew from 2,000 to 182,000. However, Chile, a country with immigrants from primarily Latin America and Europe, quickly became discriminatory to the Haitians that they previously accepted. Haitians could no longer find jobs and found themselves crammed into overcrowded homes. Additionally, the Chilean labour market favoured Spanish-speaking Venezuelans, who fled to Chile with hopes of escaping their own political turmoil, over their Haitian counterparts. The election of Sebastián Piñera as the Chilean president in 2018 only worsened the situation with stricter anti-immigration policies. Between January and July of this year, Haitians received only seven percent of permanent residency permits, down from 20 percent in the previous year. 

 These conditions have created a divide for Haitians living in Chile and other South American countries. Moreover, their treatment indicated that they were no longer welcome or appreciated in their new homes. The rise of anti-immigration in South America sparked a desire to find a more advantageous country to live in: the United States.

 President Biden has spent his first year in office reversing many of Donald Trump’s restrictive immigration policies, including halting progress on the infamous border wall and signing an executive order to reignite migrant children with their families. Biden also terminated Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy which forces migrants to dangerously wait in Mexico for their court hearings (the U.S. Supreme Court has now reinstated this policy, and it is unclear what this will mean for Haitian asylum seekers). More recently, the Biden administration has granted temporary protected status to Haitians already living illegally in the United States due to the deteriorating conditions in Haiti.

 These policies, spread through rumours among Haitians, have given a false perception that America is now open to accepting more immigrants. This impression, coupled with the diminishing circumstances for Haitians currently living in South America, has motivated them to move to America. 

 Those who leave South America face a treacherous trip to get to the United States. They must travel through the Darién Gap, a weeklong trek through marshlands and forests, to get across the Panama border from Colombia. One Haitian migrant who survived the hike described it as “a tough and dangerous experience,” during which many were raped, robbed, and killed in accidents along the way. Upon completion, migrants must make their way through Central America and Mexico to reach the U.S. southern border, where they continue to face hardships. A migrant rights group estimates that 80% of migrants travelling through the country experience some form of abuse or victimization. Photographs circulated of authorities from Mexico’s National Migration Institute as they beat and chased Haitians attempting to cross the country.

 As of September 2021, an estimated 15,000 people, the majority of which are Haitian, have been camping in makeshift tents under a bridge connecting Del Rio, Texas, to Mexico’s Ciudad Acuña. U.S. officials have worked to clear the makeshift camp set up by Haitian refugees, reporting that they had removed all migrants from the area as of September 24. However, of the 15,000 at the border, only 5,000 are allowed a trial to determine if they will be allowed to stay in America. Eight thousand returned to Mexico, with two thousand additionally deported back to Haiti. Many of those sent back had fled Haiti years before and are now re-entering a country in political chaos due to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse earlier this year.  

 These expulsions performed under the controversial Title 42, a COVID-19 law invoked by Donald Trump, allowed the removal of migrants due to a potential “health risk.” Biden is now receiving significant criticism for his use of this policy. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) condemned the use of Title 42 as a xenophobic policy that overlooks refugee laws. Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has successfully sued the U.S. government for their continued use of COVID-19 policies, arguing that the pandemic should not alter immigration policies. 

To add to this controversy, news outlets released photographs of U.S. border patrol agents on horses chasing Haitian refugees, grabbing them by their shirts and shouting obscenities at them. The Department of Homeland Security has begun an investigation into the use of horses at the border in the wake of sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers. 

Haitian migrants have had to overcome countless hardships in Haiti and South America to arrive at the U.S. border, only to face discrimination and tribulation once again. Their treatment in Del Rio reminds us that America is no longer a land of opportunity, at least not for immigrants. Furthermore, Washington’s response to the Haitian refugee problem signifies a growing concern regarding the ability of refugees to seek asylum, as well as the general validity of immigration and border policies.