Donald Trump campaigned in 2024 on stopping desperate migrants from Latin America from entering the U.S. illegally and initiating a mass deportation of the undocumented already living in America, writes Peter McKenna. But did anyone think about what the life-altering implications of such a policy prescription would be? Unsplash Photo by Barbara Burgess /UnsplashArticle contentLife just got a whole lot more precarious for roughly 211,000 Haitians residing legally in the U.S. under temporary humanitarian parole status. And the chief source of that fear and danger is one Donald Trump, who has now even banned Haitians from entering the U.S.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentYes, U.S. President Trump campaigned in 2024 on securing the U.S.-Mexico border, stopping desperate migrants from Latin America from entering the U.S. illegally and initiating a mass deportation of the undocumented already living in America. But did anyone in the Trump Administration even bother to think about what the life-altering implications of such a policy prescription would be. I’m sure that they did, though not in the compassionate way that you might think.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentThe hard truth is that Trump’s White House does not care one whit about these hundreds of thousands of frightened Haitians living in South Florida. Scaring them to death, targeting them with ICE raids and random stoppages is all part of coercing them into self-deportation via psychological warfare.Article contentArticle contentConcerns dismissedArticle contentArticle contentRecently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump was within his executive purview to terminate a humanitarian parole/immigration program – instituted by the former Joe Biden Administration in early 2023 to stem the flood of irregular migrants at the border – which protected some 530,000 Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians from deportation.Article contentThis judicial decision will have huge ramifications for migrant families (and their families still living in impoverished Haiti and dependent on remittances from America), communities, employers and even local businesses in the U.S. But I’m convinced that Trump and his acolytes – to say nothing of his MAGA base – have already dismissed these concerns as insignificant. When it comes to the current occupants of the White House, domestic politics trumps compassion, humanity and economics all the time.Article contentArticle contentThose Haitians living in the U.S. will now have, from the official June 9 notice of termination, a 30-day window to leave the country. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security can, however, begin deportation proceedings at any time during those 30 days.Article contentArticle contentSome Haitians may be in a position to apply for an alternative immigration status – such as temporary protected status, political asylum or take their chances and remain in the U.S. without the proper documentation. There are also some ongoing legal challenges, but it’s hard to imagine that those will go in favour of the migrants. With Trump’s presidency, you have to think that he will fight hard to block all of these last-ditch efforts.Article contentArticle contentWill they move to Canada?Article contentArticle contentBut is Haiti really a place where people should be forcibly returned? To be sure, the nightmarish conditions on the ground are horrendous, while the heavily-armed gangs (and marauding self-defence brigades) are mobilizing to expand their control and territorial footprint as the country cries out for international intervention and compassion.
PETER McKENNA: Donald Trumps deportation obsession and what it means for Haitians
