Trump Administration Targets Haitian Permanent Residents Accused of Gang Support

By: TPA News Desk | World News | www.thepointafricanews.com/world

The United States is poised to begin deporting Haitian legal permanent residents accused of supporting and collaborating with Haitian gang leaders, a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to curb gang violence and instability in Haiti. The U.S. Department of State announced the new measure on Monday, stating that individuals enjoying legal status in the U.S. will not be permitted to facilitate the actions of violent or “criminal terrorist organizations” abroad.

The Department of State has determined that “certain individuals” holding U.S. lawful permanent resident status have provided support to leaders of gangs, particularly “Viv Ansanm,” a powerful armed alliance controlling much of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The Trump administration previously designated Viv Ansanm as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in May, citing it as a “direct threat to US national security interests in our region.” The United Nations also listed the group as a sanctioned entity on July 8.

Following the State Department’s determination, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can initiate removal proceedings against the identified green card holders. The Immigration and Nationality Act grants the Secretary of State broad powers to expel individuals whose presence in the U.S. is deemed to have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

The announcement comes amidst a broader push by the Trump administration to intensify deportations and restrict immigration, including efforts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, despite a severe humanitarian and security crisis gripping their homeland. Critics have raised concerns about due process, pointing to instances where individuals have reportedly been targeted based on tenuous evidence.

While no names or specific numbers of those targeted for deportation have been released, the move signals a firm stance by the U.S. to crack down on any perceived links between individuals residing on American soil and the escalating violence in Haiti, which has seen nearly 5,000 deaths in nine months, according to a recent UN report. Separately, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Monday the arrest of prominent Haitian businessman and lawful permanent resident Pierre Reginald Boulos in Miami, alleging he contributed to Haiti’s destabilization, though the State Department’s general announcement did not name individuals.