“At the moment we have not yet seen large numbers, what we would characterize as a maritime mass migration, but we are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people.”
During a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Department of Defense officials testified that they are preparing for the possibility of an influx of Haitian illegal immigrants coming to the US as the Caribbean nation has fallen into chaos.
Rep Matt Gaetz pressed the officials during the hearing to state "what we are doing to prepare for that wave and to ensure that these people are not paroled into the United States as the administration has done with people on the southern border, but instead are repatriated back at the dock at Port-au-Prince?"
Loading this lets X set cookies and collect data.
View on XAssistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security Rebecca Zimmerman responded that the department is "doing a number of things to ensure that we’re keeping track of the situation and we’re prepared."
"At the moment we have not yet seen large numbers, what we would characterize as a maritime mass migration, but we are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people."
She said that additional assistance has been approved for the Coast Guard, to which Gaetz responded that he had "talked to the Coast Guard, and what they say would really support them would be more naval vessels, would be DoD support."
"And because I think you correctly said that there is an anticipated mass migration here, there are specific legal authorities that we can access that I would implore you to access, specifically, George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13276. And in that executive order, there is the ability for any president to designate an anticipated mass migration, and get gray hull naval vessels into the straits of Florida to deter that migration and then to reach Patriot those people before they get to Florida," the congressman continued.
In a State Department fact sheet for “sweeping new actions to manage regional migration,” Haitian nationals qualify for a “new family reunification parole processes” that allows illegal immigrants to come to the US on a “case-by-case basis.” This is in addition to the 30,000 illegal immigrants that are being brought from Haiti among other countries.
The definition of being on “parole” in the US immigration system is “an individual who is paroled into the United States has not been formally admitted into the United States for purposes of immigration law.”
Chaos has erupted in Haiti, with over 4,000 inmates being broken out of 2 of the country's largest prisons and have remained in the streets wreaking havoc.
Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has been overtaken by gangs, including the "G9 and Family" gang led by Jimmy Cherizier, who goes by "Barbecue."
On Tuesday, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced he will be resigning "immediately after the installation of [a transition] council,"
Libby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
