UN Warns About Possible Mass Deportations of Haitians from the U.S. as Haiti Faces Humanitarian Crisis

UN’s María Isabel Salvador Expresses Alarm Over U.S. Plans to Escalate Haitian Deportations, Citing Rights Violations.Photo:EFE.

April 23, 2025 Hour: 5:34 pm

The UN denounces increased deportations to Haiti under the Trump administration, violating human rights amid a security and hunger crisis affecting millions.

The UN Special Representative for Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, warned on Monday about the risk of the Trump administration increasing deportations of Haitians from the United States, violating their human rights. The measure comes as the Caribbean nation faces an unprecedented crisis: over 5,600 deaths, one million displaced people, and armed gangs controlling 85% of Port-au-Prince, according to UN figures.

Mass Deportations and Stigmatization

The potential inclusion of Haitian gangs on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations , similar to the designation applied to Mexican cartels , could criminalize entire communities, Salvador stated. The official criticized Trump’s rhetoric, which spread racist rumors against Haitians in Springfield, Massachusetts, and stressed that “respect for human rights must be the foundation of any immigration policy.” Currently, 520,694 Haitians will lose their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) starting August, leaving them exposed to immediate deportation.

Cuts to International Aid

Salvador denounced budget cuts by the U.S. and other Western nations, which have drastically limited the UN’s humanitarian work in Haiti. “Without funding, we cannot address food insecurity affecting half the population by June,” she said. The warning coincides with the collapse of basic services and gang control over critical supply routes.

The situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate as armed violence forces mass displacement & exacerbates needs.

Humanitarians are working to provide lifesaving aid to the most vulnerable people.

More from @UNOCHA: https://t.co/DkRqhHlOLc pic.twitter.com/HCVsO9qMRk
— United Nations (@UN) February 25, 2025

The Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), led by Kenya, has deployed only 1,000 of the promised 2,500 personnel. The UN proposed that the United Nations assume logistical costs, but the Security Council , led by the U.S. and Panama , has not prioritized a resolution. “We are in limbo while gangs expand their control,” Salvador lamented.

The UN representative questioned the lack of financial commitment from wealthy nations, despite 85% of Haiti’s capital being under criminal influence. “Security must take priority over any political agenda,” she insisted, while ruling out the possibility of presidential elections in February 2026 due to escalating violence.