Leaders in Massachusetts’ sizable Haitian community say they’re terrified by ongoing violence and political upheaval in their homeland.
Gangs recently opened fire on three planes arriving in Haiti from the United States, leading to a monthlong suspension of flights between the two countries by the Federal Aviation Administration. Meanwhile, Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille was removed from office on Monday by the country’s transitionary council after only six months in his role.
“You have gangs being allowed to be near the airport in, you know, to shoot at airplanes,” said Dr. Geralde Gabeau. “So it’s complete lawlessness. It’s complete lack of leadership, you know, from all over the world.”
Gabeau, originally from Haiti, is the executive director of the Immigrant Family Services Institute. The group has assisted thousands of Haitian migrants who’ve fled the country over the past few years. She said they’re “very worried” for their loved ones, and she is concerned about her own sister who remains there.
“It’s very alarming at this time. As a matter of fact, this weekend, I’ll be officiating a funeral for a father whose daughter is in Haiti,” said Pastor Dieufort “Keke” Fleurissaint, the founder of True Alliance Center, Inc., a Haitian-led organization established to advocate for the community. The woman is stuck there, he said, unable to attend her dad’s funeral due to the FAA rule.
The federal government has allowed some Haitians to apply for temporary stays in the U.S. while remaining there. Most of those arriving at the border to claim asylum without pre-approval are deported.
The federal government has long declared Haiti a country that is unsafe to travel to, and the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince recently reiterated that.
“That’s where the irony is, where they declare that people should not be traveling back to Haiti,” said Gabeau of Immigrant Family Services Institute. “And at the same time, you know, almost every week, you know, one, two or three flights are bringing people back.”
On Thursday, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and her co-chairs on the Haiti Caucus urged the Biden administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian assistance to the country.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about whether it plans to pause deportation flights.
Another layer to the local Haitian community’s concern is the fact that the violence is fueled by guns trafficked from the United States.
Fleurissaint said that Haiti itself doesn’t have gun manufacturers in the country, so many weapons that the gangs use for their violence come from elsewhere.
“All the ammunitions the gangs have been using in Haiti to kill their own countrymen, countrywomen come in from the United States,” he said.
Haiti has operated heavily under gangs since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Fleurissaint is hoping the U.S. government steps in.
“I don’t know how the meager police force in Haiti will be able to combat those guns,” Fleurissaint said.
