AILA Urges the Biden Administration to Immediately Course Correct on Rapid Expulsion of Haitians

WASHINGTON, DC – The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) denounced the decision of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rapidly expel hundreds of Haitians using policies that deny asylum seekers the opportunity to seek protection.

AILA President Allen Orr stated, “These expulsions are morally reprehensible and illegal. In recent weeks, Haiti has been battered by both environmental disasters and political turmoil that included the assassination of a sitting president. These events compound the devastation from earthquakes and hurricanes that have overwhelmed Haiti’s government, communities, and infrastructure. Overwhelming evidence shows that the conditions in Haiti are deteriorating. Given the great uncertainty surrounding the future of Haiti, including its ability to safely accept the return of its nationals, the Biden administration’s forcible expulsion of Haitians not only deprives people of the opportunity to apply for asylum but also endangers their lives.”

Benjamin Johnson, AILA Executive Director, noted, “U.S. asylum and humanitarian law absolutely forbids the Biden administration from the massive and rapid expulsion of Haitian asylum seekers, including families with children, from the border region, that strips them of any meaningful chance to claim protection. Now eight months in office, President Biden can no longer blame his predecessor for keeping in place policies that violate asylum law and force people back to a country that is in no way prepared to offer them protection. Some congressional members have expressed deep concern, but the Biden administration needs to recognize it is violating U.S. law and immediately stop deportation flights.”