On Tuesday, June 4, President Donald Trump issued a blanket travel ban on Haiti — a nation already facing profound humanitarian and economic crises - and in doing so is blocking Haitian nationals from entering the United States.
As an elected official who represents a very diverse community, I believe this cruel decision undermines vital relief efforts, stalls economic recovery, and delays the restoration of civic order.
President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security enacted a travel ban prohibiting citizens of 12 countries - including Haiti - from entering the U.S., while also implementing heavy Visa restrictions. This is a blatant continuation of an unfair, discriminatory approach to foreign policy that continues to punish Haiti. This ban has nothing to do with national security. Haitian immigrants and their children contribute meaningfully to American society as doctors, attorneys, and engineers — not “terrorists.” Once again, Trump is targeting Haiti, continuing a pattern of hostility toward the diaspora. In 2018, he infamously referred to Haiti as a “s***hole nation” — a vile slur against a people who overthrew slavery and founded the first Black-led republic in the world.
Just last year, while campaigning, Trump and J.D. Vance spread falsehoods about Haitian migrants in Ohio stating that “they eat cats and dogs.” When Trump held a rally in Nassau County on September 18, I stood alongside Haitian American leaders in protest. We demanded accountability — especially from Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who disgracefully welcomed Trump — and made clear we won’t tolerate lies that dehumanize our community.
Now, with this new ban, Haiti joins 11 other countries under full travel restrictions. Meanwhile, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 500,000 Haitians in the U.S. hangs in the balance, with applications closing on August 3.
We must ask ourselves — beyond prejudice and political posturing, what truly drives President Trump’s persistent attacks on Haiti and its people?
The travel ban will further isolate Haitians, pushing an already-vulnerable population deeper into the wilderness of instability, economic collapse, and humanitarian crisis.
Let us be clear: this is a de facto embargo. A travel ban on a country that relies so heavily on remittances, which make up nearly one-third of its gross domestic product — directly chokes off one of its last remaining lifelines. It reduces air travel, discourages investment, and compounds the economic desperation on the ground. With Haiti’s domestic production already critically low, this policy amounts to collective punishment.
We are witnessing a rapid escalation of instability in Haiti. If this path continues, experts warn it could lead to the death of up to 1 percent of the Haitian population. That is not policy — that is tragedy.
As a Legislator and advocate for justice, I call on global leaders, including His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, to speak out. We cannot turn a blind eye while an entire nation suffers under the weight of indifference and misguided foreign policy. We need people of conscience — from every background — to speak up. Use your voice. Contact your representatives. Demand that the Trump administration stop the discrimination. The Haitian community deserves more than political scapegoating. They deserve solidarity.
Why are we punishing the Haitian people for circumstances far beyond their control? They need support, not suffocation. Compassion, not condemnation.
We must act with urgency, clarity, and humanity. Haiti deserves better.
In the face of injustice, silence is not an option. Now is the time to stand with Haiti — not just in words, but in action.
Sincerely,
Nassau County Legislator, 3rd District