October 08, 2021

Warren Joins Menendez, Senate Democrats in Criticizing Mistreatment of Haitian Migrants at Border

Senators urge Administration to support long-term stability in Haiti; “Ensuring the integrity of U.S. borders is of utmost importance, and is not incompatible with the fundamental duty to respect the dignity, humanity, and rights of all individuals seeking entry to the United States.”

Text of Letter

Washington, D.C. – United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and 14 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to express their disappointment over the United States’ inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants at the southern border and their summary deportations. 

In addition to calling for the immediate appointment of a new Special Envoy for Haiti as the country reels from natural disaster, gang violence, COVID-19, and political crisis in the wake of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the lawmakers urged the Biden administration to step up efforts with partners throughout the Western Hemisphere to find solutions that place the protection needs of Haitian migrants and the long-term stability of Haiti at the core of the United States’ approach.

“Over the course of our lifetimes, our Haitian brothers and sisters have endured dictatorships, constitutional crises, food insecurity, pandemics, natural disasters, forced displacement, the assassination of their President, and the criminal takeover of their communities. Their resilience is unparalleled and our communities in the United States have flourished as a result of the presence of Haitian immigrants and their American children,” the senators wrote, calling for both the establishment of a reintegration program for returnees and international collaboration to secure access to protection, assistance, and information about rights for Haitians living abroad. “Ensuring the integrity of U.S. borders is of utmost importance, and is not incompatible with the fundamental duty to respect the dignity, humanity, and rights of all individuals seeking entry to the United States.”

Joining Senators Warren and Menendez in signing the letter were Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).

This letter is part of Senator Warren's ongoing efforts to protect the rights and wellbeing of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, migrants, and asylum seekers:

  • Last month, Senator Warren called out the inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants and called on the administration to focus on humanitarian efforts. 
  • In May 2021, Senator Warren supported the Biden administration’s announcement that it is designating Haitians in the United States for TPS for 18 months. 
  • In March 2021, Senator Warren joined Senator Mazie Hirono’s (D-Hawaii) amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in Sanchez v. Mayorkas, regarding TPS holders being denied green cards.
  • In September 2020, Senator Warren called out the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to end TPS for over 300,000 immigrants. 
  • In April 2020, Senator Warren joined Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and 36 colleagues urging the Trump administration to automatically extend work authorizations for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and TPS recipients and other impacted immigrants.
  • In May 2018, Senator Warren joined Senator Markey in a letter to the Trump administration questioning the termination of TPS for Haitians. 
  • In November 2017, Senator Warren released a statement calling out the Trump administration's announcement that it planned to end TPS for Haitians in 2019. 

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