Biden administration to deport Haitians from South Texas

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration announced on Saturday that it would begin swiftly deporting Haitians who flocked in their thousands at the southern border last week after entering the United States illegally.

The move is intended to ease the overflow in the southern Texas border town of Del Rio and deter more Haitians from trying to come to the United States, a strategy that has drawn strong criticism from groups. defense of human rights and the opposition of some Democratic lawmakers.

The Biden administration has scheduled three flights for Sunday, and more could be scheduled in the coming days, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the evolution of the plans. The flights will go to Haiti as well as to the South American countries where the migrants have lived.

Under the plan, outlined by the Department of Homeland Security, the administration will “step up the pace and increase the capacity” of return flights to Haiti and other destinations within the next 72 hours. Many details of the plan – like the number of people on each flight or how people will be treated before being placed on a flight – were not immediately clear on Saturday.

The administration halted return flights to Haiti after the devastating August earthquake, which was followed by a powerful tropical storm after weeks of civil unrest. But the sudden increase in migrant crossings over the past week has prompted U.S. officials to change their plans.

More than 14,000 Haitians, many carrying mattresses, fruits, diapers and blankets, have crossed the river ankle-deep between Mexico and Del Rio and camped under a bridge, awaiting treatment by the US border patrol. . Some seek work in the United States, others flee violence or racial discrimination in other countries.

To alleviate the pressure on resources, the Department of Homeland Security said it had sent 400 agents to the Del Rio area and would send additional staff if necessary.

He said he is also transferring migrants to other parts of the border that are currently less submerged than Del Rio, a town of around 35,000 surrounded mostly by ranch land, thorny brush and mesquite trees. which is approximately 150 miles west of San Antonio.

Many migrants arrived after months of overland travel from Brazil and Chile, where they had been granted permission to reside after an earthquake devastated the country in 2010. The economies of these countries were hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Others have headed for the border after traveling directly to Mexico days or months ago from Haiti.

The resumption of return flights to Haiti comes as the Biden administration appeals a court ruling that ends the Trump-era policy of barring migrant families from entering the United States, an policy that has long been criticized by immigration and human rights advocates, and even Vice President Kamala Harris when she was a senator.

“This administration has talked a lot about wanting a humane asylum system,” said Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union and head of litigation challenging the public health policy known as Title 42. “It is horrible that the administration is sending a general message that the border is closed without acknowledging that asylum seekers have no choice but to flee and seek safety.

Eileen Sullivan reported from Washington, and Myriam Jordan from Los Angeles.