September 27, 2024

Warren, Cardin, Cherfilus-McCormick, Meeks Lead Over 60 Lawmakers in Urging Departments of Justice, State, Homeland Security, and Commerce to Stop Arms Trafficking to Haiti

While exporting arms to Haiti is illegal under an international arms embargo, an underground market for firearms has thrived

U.S.-manufactured firearms are contributing to political instability and gang violence in the country

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led a letter to the Departments of State (State), Homeland Security (DHS), Commerce (Commerce), and Justice (DOJ), urging them to strengthen steps to prevent the flow of illegal firearms from the United States into Haiti.

Since the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, armed gangs have consolidated power in Haiti. As violence rose, there was an influx of gun trafficking into Haiti. Though the country itself does not manufacture guns, there are an estimated 500,000 firearms in the country, and the United States is the number one source of these guns, often making their way through Florida. 

As a result, gangs have outgunned and overpowered the Haitian National Police and other security forces, leading to the displacement of over 300,000 Haitians over the past year alone.

“The escalation of firepower contributes to gangs’ capacity to terrorize civilians (including through systematic sexual violence), contributes to internal displacement, and directly impedes efforts by security forces working to regain control of the country,” the lawmakers say.

The lawmakers are pushing five recommendations to strengthen the administration’s current efforts, including increased staffing and stricter screening of packages going to Haiti and other parts of the Caribbean. The lawmakers also recommend the DOJ’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) implement a strategy to increase the number of firearms recovered in Haiti that are submitted for tracing in order to identify gun traffickers and dealers who sell to them. 

The lawmakers are also calling for an expansion of the “Demand Letter 3” program, which requires federal firearms licensees in certain states to notify ATF if they sell someone multiple semi-automatic rifles in a five-day period. This letter calls for expanding the program to include key states where Haiti’s trafficked assault weapons originate — including Florida.

“Cracking down on the flow of illegal weapons that are facilitating rampant gang violence in Haiti advances U.S. security. It is also a moral imperative,” the lawmakers wrote. 

The following senators joined in signing: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

The following Representatives joined in signing: Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alma Adams, Ph.D. (D-N.C.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Debbie Wassmerman Schultz (D-Fla.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Frederica Wilson, (D-Fla.), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Jesús García (D-Ill.), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), André Carson (D-Ind.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), and Seth Magaziner (D-Mass.).Barbara Lee (D-Calif), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.), Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).

"The Haitian people are enduring one of the worst humanitarian and security crises in their history, fueled in part by the failure of the United States to stop the flow of illegal guns into Haiti," said Chair Cardin. “This effort, supported by colleagues in both the Senate and House, puts forward commonsense measures the Biden administration can take now to help end our complicity in this tragedy. It’s a decisive and practical step toward fulfilling our responsibility to help bring peace and stability to the Haitian people.”

“Weapons produced in the US and trafficked to Haiti and our Caribbean neighbors has undermined regional stability and threatened US national security. It is critical that we strengthen our efforts to disrupt the illegal flow of arms, bolster interagency coordination, and fully utilize the tools at our disposal, including enhanced firearm tracing and increased monitoring of cargo leaving our ports. We produced and allowed these weapons to flow past our borders. We have a responsibility to act,” said Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks. 

“The influx of illegal arms into Haiti is contributing to unprecedented levels of violence and political instability, putting innocent lives at risk,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. “Despite international laws prohibiting the export of weapons to Haiti, the black market for firearms continues to thrive, with guns manufactured in the U.S. and smuggled from Florida playing a significant role in the turmoil. This illicit arms trade is undermining Haiti’s security and economic stability, making it extremely challenging for the country to rebuild its institutions and economy. Haiti is in our backyard, and instability in Haiti poses significant risks to the United States and the region.  I look forward to the Biden-Harris administration fully utilizing all the tools at their disposal to stop the illicit arms flow to Haiti.” 

Senator Warren has led efforts to combat the flood of high-powered assault weapons into communities at home and abroad, and to support families fleeing dangerous conditions in Haiti: 

  • In August 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren, along with Representatives Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) introduced the Stop Militarizing Our Streets Act of 2024 to stop military-grade assault weapons and ammunition from finding their way onto our streets.
  • In July 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) sent a letter to the Department of Defense calling on them to stop subsidizing the sale of military-grade weapons to civilians.
  • In May 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) sent a letter to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai writing in support of USTR’s decision to remove the designation of import license requirements for explosives, firearms, and ammunition as trade barriers in the annual National Trade Estimate (NTE) report, while also criticizing the Department of Commerce’s inadequate steps to address assault weapons exports. 
  • In February 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), urging them to increase funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program (SSP) to $5 billion in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024.
  • In February 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren and colleagues submitted an amendment to the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 that would provide $5 billion for the FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program without requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ramp up its detention and deportation efforts. Senator Warren worked with Senator Padilla and others to submit a similar amendment to the Fiscal Year 2024 Spending Package in March 2024. 
  • In January 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, calling on the Department of Commerce to incorporate a set of recommendations from the lawmakers to strengthen export controls and end-use checks for firearm exports to crack down on the unnecessary export of lethal weapons used in brutal killings abroad. 
  • In December 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) reintroduced the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act, a comprehensive bill that would implement bold and robust measures including creating a federal gun licensing system, strengthening background checks, banning military-style assault weapons and other lethal accessories, holding the gun industry accountable for wrongdoing, and investing in research and community-based gun violence prevention.
  • In December 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren, along with the entire Massachusetts delegation, wrote to FEMA raising concerns about a lack of federal funding for non-border states like Massachusetts experiencing a significant influx of migrants and requesting additional federal SSP funding for the Commonwealth.
  • In November 2023, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur Jaddou, about several policy proposals to help address delays in issuing employment authorization documents. 
  • In September 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to Secretary Raimondo, calling on Commerce to publicly release data on its approvals of assault weapons exports and provide a response to questions laid out in their September 2022 letter about Commerce’s troubling increase of assault weapons export approvals.
  • In September 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.) led 68 lawmakers in a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to take further executive action to combat gun violence and limit the sale of assault weapons, including to leverage the federal government’s purchasing power to improve public safety. 
  • In September 2023, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) applauded the Biden administration’s redesignation of TPS for Venezuelan migrants.
  • In August 2023, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Representatives Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Bill Keating (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Secretary Mayorkas and Director Jaddou, urging them to expedite the processing of EADs for individuals paroled into the United States, which would lessen the strain on available humanitarian and housing resources. 
  • In March 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren and lawmakers submitted a public comment against the Biden administration’s proposed rule to restrict asylum at the southern border. The senators called on the Biden administration to withdraw the rule in its entirety.
  • In January 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren and nearly 70 other lawmakers sent a letter urging President Biden to reverse the administration’s expansion of the inhumane Trump-era border policy known as Title 42 and to abandon the proposed asylum “transit ban” rule. The lawmakers also encouraged the President and his administration to work with Congress to develop safe, humane, and orderly border policies that enforce our immigration laws and uphold the right to asylum under domestic and international law.
  • In October 2022, Senator Elizabeth Warren joined Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in a letter to President Biden calling for the Administration to return oversight of the export of firearms to the Department of State. 
  • In September 2022, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary Raimondo, calling out Commerce for its increased approvals of export licenses for assault weapons and high-capacity magazine exports, and for putting the gun industry profits before national security and human lives. The lawmakers called on Commerce to revise its approach to assault weapons exports and to answer questions about its export license approvals. 
  • In September 2022, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary Raimondo, calling out Commerce for its increased approvals of export licenses for assault weapons and high-capacity magazine exports, and for putting the gun industry profits before national security and human lives. The lawmakers called on Commerce to revise its approach to assault weapons exports and to answer questions about its export license approvals.
  • In September 2022, Senator Elizabeth Warren led members of the Massachusetts delegation in a letter to DHS and FEMA calling for funding from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program to be allocated swiftly to organizations assisting newly arrived migrants in Massachusetts. 
  • In September 2022, Senator Elizabeth Warren released a statement condemning efforts to use asylum seekers as political pawns and committing to assisting communities in need. 
  • In July 2022, at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned Alan Estevez, Under Secretary for Industry and Security at the Department of Commerce, about the agency’s lax approach to export controls of military-style assault weapons and called on the Biden administration to fulfill its campaign promise to return assault weapons exports oversight to the State Department.
  • In November 2021, Senator Elizabeth Warren stated her opposition to the continued use of Title 42 to expel asylum seekers and called for the Biden administration to rescind this policy.
  • In October 2021, Senator Elizabeth Warren joined then-Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) in criticizing the inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants and called on the administration to support long-term stability in Haiti.  
  • In October 2021, Senator Elizabeth Warren called on Chris Magnus to commit to transparency regarding the investigation into the events in Del Rio, Texas during his confirmation hearing to be CBP Commissioner.

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