First deportation flight lands in Haiti after TPS suspension

On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted the first deportation flight to Haiti since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals. The charter flight carried over 160 Haitian individuals to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti's second-largest city, as the main airport in the capital, Port-au-Prince, is deemed too dangerous due to gang violence. Many deportees expressed fear of targeting by gangs controlling significant portions of the country. This action follows warnings from U.S. officials to Haitian authorities about an anticipated increase in removals. The end of TPS, which protects individuals in the U.S. from countries facing extraordinary circumstances, has been met with criticism regarding the safety of returning individuals to Haiti, where the U.S. State Department advises against travel for any reason.

The U.S. deported over 160 individuals to Haiti on Thursday, marking the first such flight since the end of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Haitians. The plane landed in Cap-Haitien due to the dangerous conditions at Port-au-Prince's main airport, which is currently subject to a U.S. commercial flight ban. The deportees included TPS holders and individuals with prior prison sentences. Haitian officials stated their role is to welcome and assist returnees, though they are not requesting these deportations. Activists have expressed concerns about Haiti's safety and resources to handle the influx of deportees amidst widespread gang violence and humanitarian crises. One deportee, who left Haiti as a child, reported being sent back without questioning after serving a prison sentence.