A U.S. deportation flight carrying 95 Haitian nationals landed in Cap-Haïtien on Wednesday, marking the latest in a series of removals under Washington’s tightened immigration enforcement policies.
Armed Haitian security forces were stationed on the tarmac as the flight arrived from Florida.
Among those on board were 11 women and several individuals with prior criminal convictions who had served time in U.S. prisons.
Many disembarked with their faces covered, avoiding questions and concealing their identities.
One deportee, speaking anonymously in Haitian Creole, shared his story:
“I entered the U.S. in September 2021.
“After some issues with the police, ICE contacted me to turn myself in. People advised me to flee to Canada, but I chose to surrender.
“I spent time in jail and eventually asked to be sent home. I’m not a criminal in my country. I just wanted my freedom.”
Haitian authorities processed the returnees at a temporary facility at the Cap-Haïtien airport, set up earlier this year to handle the influx of deportees. Each individual is expected to undergo a case-by-case review before being released.
The flight follows a recent policy shift by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which in June terminated legal protections for thousands of Haitians, effectively paving the way for large-scale deportations.
It remains unclear whether any of the individuals on this flight were previously covered under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program — a safeguard for nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.
Before the rollback, citizens from 17 nations — including Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Lebanon — were eligible for TPS. The Trump administration, now in its second term, has intensified immigration crackdowns, raising alarm among immigrant advocates and communities.
With Haiti still reeling from political unrest, gang violence, and economic turmoil, the forced return of nationals is adding to the country’s burden.
For deportees like the man who opted for repatriation over prolonged detention, going back was a choice shaped as much by personal conviction as by immigration law.
