A U.S. deportation flight carrying 95 Haitian nationals landed Wednesday in Cap-Haïtien, intensifying concerns over the humanitarian impact of tightened immigration enforcement and the rollback of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians.

Among the deportees were 11 women, and several individuals with criminal records who had served time in U.S. prisons. Haitian police stood guard as passengers disembarked, many with faces covered, declining to speak publicly.

One deportee, speaking anonymously in Haitian Creole, shared his story: “I entered the United States in September 2021… I asked them to send me back to my country. I am not a thief in my country, and I did not want to stay in prison. I am happy to be back in my country”.

The arrivals were processed at a makeshift facility established at the Cap-Haïtien airport in February, with Haitian authorities confirming that each case will be reviewed individually before release.

This flight is part of a broader surge in deportations. In June 2025, ICE conducted 1,187 deportation flights, including 209 removal operations, reflecting a sharp escalation in repatriation efforts.

The deportations follow the June termination of TPS protections for Haitians, which had allowed over 116,500 individuals to live and work legally in the U.S. The program is set to end officially on September 2, 2025, despite ongoing instability in Haiti.

Advocacy groups and legal experts have condemned the move, citing contradictions between DHS claims of improved conditions and the U.S. State Department’s Level 4 travel warning for Haiti due to violence, kidnapping, and civil unrest.

The deportations add pressure to a country already facing political chaos, economic collapse, and mass displacement. From January to April 2025, the Dominican Republic repatriated over 119,000 Haitians, underscoring regional migration tensions.

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