Articles

In letter to House leaders, Rep. Wilson calls for suspension of deportations to Haiti

WSVN / April 13, 2020

MIAMI (WSVN) - A South Florida congresswoman is leading the charge in an effort to end deportations to Haiti during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter addressed to House of Representatives leaders and signed by more than two dozen representatives, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., asked that any future coronavirus response Congress package bar the Trump administration from deporting Haitian nationals for the duration of the pandemic.

Monday's letter comes weeks after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said that it would delay most deportations. However, ICE agents deported 61 migrants to Haiti last Tuesday despite calls to delay their flight.

Administration officials have also begun pressuring countries like Haiti to continue accepting U.S. deportees. On Friday, President Donald Trump issued a memo instructing consulates to stop processing U.S. visas for countries that do not accept repatriated migrants.

Wilson argued that deporting Haitian nationals during this time could have serious consequences for the U.S., since the country could be forced to intercede if there is an outbreak in Haiti.

In the letter, Wilson wrote, "Continuing deportations amid a public health crisis that has ensnared most of the world is thoughtless and cruel. Having traveled to Haiti and observed its health-care infrastructure firsthand, I fear that a widespread outbreak would devastate the island nation."

Florida Reps. Ted Deutch, Donna Shalala and Debbie Wasserman Schultz were among those who signed the letter.