U.S. special envoy to Haiti quits after two months, says deportation of migrants is “inhumane, counterproductive”
The Biden administration’s ongoing crisis at the U.S. southern border has jumped to the forefront of the news in recent days due to a massive influx of Haitian migrants at Del Rio, Texas, where over 14,000 illegal immigrants have been gathering in an effort to enter the United States.
Daniel Foote, the U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti, has quit the position after only being at the job for two months, reportedly issuing a blistering resignation letter to the Biden administration on his way out.
The letter, addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, accuses the Biden administration of an “inhumane, counterproductive” deportation policy for Haitian migrants, the Associated Press reported.
“I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life,” wrote Foote in his resignation letter.
“Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed, and my policy recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own,” he added.
The Biden administration’s ongoing crisis at the U.S. southern border has jumped to the forefront of the news in recent days due to a massive influx of Haitian migrants at Del Rio, Texas, where over 14,000 illegal immigrants have been gathering in an effort to enter the United States.
The vast majority of the asylum seekers are currently being held under an overpass in scorching 100-degree weather, with little food or shelter, as detailed by Rebel News.
The Biden administration has repeatedly stated it plans to expel Haitian migrants currently camped in Del Rio, and it has already deported some migrants back to Haiti. However, a U.S. official recently revealed that Haitian migrants were being freed into the United States on a “very, very large scale.”
Rebel News reported that the Biden administration is set to process and release thousands of migrants who crossed illegally into the U.S.
From the Associated Press:
The releases come despite a massive effort to expel Haitians on flights under pandemic-related authority that denies migrants a chance to seek asylum. A third U.S. official not authorized to discuss operations said there were seven daily flights to Haiti planned starting Wednesday.
Ten flights arrived in Haiti from Sunday to Tuesday in planes designed for 135 passengers, according to Haitian officials, who didn’t provide a complete count but said six of those flights carried 713 migrants combined.
The Washington Post reported that Foote also took issue with the Biden administration’s policy of backing Ariel Henry following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in July.
“The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner — again — is impressive,” he wrote.
As France24 details, the Haitian prosecutor began pursuing charges against Henry in connection with the president’s death, allegedly because Henry made a phone call to an assassination suspect hours before the slaying.
Henry responded by firing the prosecutor and has vowed to find those responsible for the assassination.
“Those who are truly guilty, the masterminds of the odious assassination of president Jovenel Moise and those who ordered it, will be found, brought to justice and punished for their actions,” Henry said.
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