On September 18, 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a “comprehensive strategy” to expel thousands of Haitian and other migrants seeking to cross the U.S. Southern border in Del Rio, TX.

Thousands of Haitian migrants have tried to cross the U.S. Southern border in recent days as they seek to leave behind the poverty and chaos in their country that has only increased as a result of the recent  earthquake, a deep political crisis, and the effects of COVID-19 across the region. 

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA joins the #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign repudiation of the U.S. government’s decision to deport Haitian migrants at the border, including the Customs and Border Patrol’s violence against Haitian migrants.  Jesuit Refugee Service/USA and the campaign also called on the United States to immediately end the expulsion of Haitian and other migrants under Title 42.

“Jesuit Refugee Service/USA is deeply concerned about the U.S. decision to ramp up deportation of Haitian migrants, particularly after the courts deemed Title 42 illegal,” said Joan Rosenhauer, JRS/USA Executive Director. 

“Disturbing images of CBP officers committing terrible acts of violence against Haitian migrants only highlight the need to protect those seeking safety at our border and the urgency of rebuilding the U.S. asylum system. The Biden Administration needs to stop deporting migrants based on a Trump-era policy that has no scientific basis and only places migrants  in harm’s way.”