With gangs taking over more than 90% of Port-au-Prince, hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants may be returning to a land of chaos if a judge rules in favor of the Trump administration’s executive order to end the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela Humanitarian Sponsorship Program.
The humanitarian parole program, established under the Biden administration, has permitted more than 500,000 people to enter the U.S. under temporary legal status. According to NBC News, immigrants like 28-year-old Kevinson Jean may be prompted to return to face Haiti’s heavy gang violence and political turmoil if President Donald Trump’s executive order, which was supposed to take effect April 24, is approved.
The Trump administration labeled the program as a “broad abuse” of the immigration parole system, along with the Department of Homeland Security’s perspective of the program as an “unlawful scheme.”
The security and humanitarian crisis in Port-au-Prince resulted in 60,000 people fleeing in February. In Jean’s own experience, he was held at gunpoint for cash he collected from a job with the nonprofit Christian ministry Hills of His Grace. The 2021 incident prompted him and his wife, Sherlie, to apply for the CHNV Humanitarian Sponsorship Program with the help of Hills of His Grace founder Kimberly Snelgrooves and Pastor Joshua Light of First Baptist Church Panhandle. The gangs have a significant presence in Haiti, according to Haitian human rights activist Pierre Esperance.
“They have guns…They attack whenever they want. They set fire to whatever they want,” he said. “The police have been weakened, and the government has collapsed.”
Gang violence in Haiti escalates as Delmas 30 residents face relentless attacks. Armed groups have terrorized the area, forcing many to flee. Here’s what you need to know about the worsening crisis and its impact.
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— Haitian Times (@HaitianTimes_) February 26, 2025
Earlier in April, Trump stated that if Jean and his wife Shirley entered the U.S. legally, then he “is going to be in good shape” to stay. However, Jean said he received a letter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services prompting him to self-deport. The couple is worried they lack the means to even return to Haiti and fear the possibility of being sent to a third country like El Salvador without knowing the language or culture.
Earlier this month, Trump’s order to revoke the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela Humanitarian Sponsorship Program was temporarily blocked by a judge. The Trump administration has appealed the ruling and now awaits a decision by the First Circuit Court.
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