Pentagon officials anticipate 'mass migration' of Haitians amid chaos in Caribbean
"At the moment we have not yet seen large numbers, what we would characterize as a maritime mass migration, but we are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people."
During a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Department of Defense officials testified that they are preparing for the possibility of an influx of Haitian illegal immigrants coming to the US as the Caribbean nation has fallen into chaos.
Rep Matt Gaetz pressed the officials during the hearing to state "what we are doing to prepare for that wave and to ensure that these people are not paroled into the United States as the administration has done with people on the southern border, but instead are repatriated back at the dock at Port-au-Prince?"
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security Rebecca Zimmerman responded that the department is "doing a number of things to ensure that we’re keeping track of the situation and we’re prepared."
"At the moment we have not yet seen large numbers, what we would characterize as a maritime mass migration, but we are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people."
She said that additional assistance has been approved for the Coast Guard, to which Gaetz responded that he had "talked to the Coast Guard, and what they say would really support them would be more naval vessels, would be DoD support."
"And because I think you correctly said that there is an anticipated mass migration here, there are specific legal authorities that we can access that I would implore you to access, specifically, George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13276. And in that executive order, there is the ability for any president to designate an anticipated mass migration, and get gray hull naval vessels into the straits of Florida to deter that migration and then to reach Patriot those people before they get to Florida," the congressman continued.
In a State Department fact sheet for “sweeping new actions to manage regional migration,” Haitian nationals qualify for a “new family reunification parole processes” that allows illegal immigrants to come to the US on a “case-by-case basis.” This is in addition to the 30,000 illegal immigrants that are being brought from Haiti among other countries.
The definition of being on “parole” in the US immigration system is “an individual who is paroled into the United States has not been formally admitted into the United States for purposes of immigration law.”
Chaos has erupted in Haiti, with over 4,000 inmates being broken out of 2 of the country's largest prisons and have remained in the streets wreaking havoc.
Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has been overtaken by gangs, including the "G9 and Family" gang led by Jimmy Cherizier, who goes by "Barbecue."
On Tuesday, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced he will be resigning "immediately after the installation of [a transition] council,"
If the Government collapsed and the PM quit who is he paying exactly?
Blinken says US to give another $133 million for crisis-hit Haiti
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday promised another $133 million to support Haiti, saying the spiraling crisis showed the urgency of deploying a multinational force.
Addressing an emergency Caribbean conference in Jamaica, Blinken said the United States would commit another $100 million to the forthcoming Multinational Security Support Mission plus an immediate $33 million in humanitarian aid, bringing total US pledges for Haiti during the years-long crisis to $333 million.
Haiti has been plagued for decades by grinding poverty, natural disasters and political instability but things got much worse since the assassination of president Jovenel Moise in 2021. Well-armed gangs that control much of the country and most of the capital have been on a rampage since last week.
The escalating violence “creates an untenable situation for the Haitian people, and we all know that urgent action is needed both on the political and security tracks,” Blinken said.
“Only the Haitian people can determine their own future --- not anyone else,” Blinken said.
But he said that the United States and its partners “can help restore foundational security” and address “the tremendous suffering that Haitians are suffering.”
Canada --- whose prime minister, Justin Trudeau, participated virtually in the talks — earlier offered more than 91 million US dollars for Haiti.
Other countries that have announced financial or logistical contributions include Benin, France, Germany, Jamaica and Spain, according to US officials.
President Joe Biden has ruled out sending troops to Haiti, which the United States occupied for nearly two decades a century ago and where it has intervened since.
Biden withdrew troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and has vowed to limit risks to US troops.
After the Biden administration declined to send troops, eyes turned to Canada, which also decided that a Haiti mission was too dangerous with success uncertain.
Kenya stepped forward but was set back by a domestic court ruling against the deployment to Haiti.
The Kenyan deployment plan has again picked up steam after Prime Minister Ariel Henry visited Nairobi and agreed on a “reciprocal” exchange of forces between the two countries.
Henry was blocked from returning to Haiti by the intensifying violence. He is stranded in the US territory of Puerto Rico as the United States and Caribbean leaders encourage him to step away.
https://insiderpaper.com/blinken-says-us-to-give-another-133-million-for-crisis-hit-haiti/