Haiti in crisis

We discuss the kidnappings, violence and instability plaguing Haiti and the crisis facing Haitians migrants at the U.S. border.

Air Date: October 19, 2021 10:00 am

Haitian migrants use a dam to cross into and from the U.S. from Mexico, Saturday, September 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

An armed street gang in Haiti kidnapped 17 American and Canadian missionaries this weekend, just one incident in a string of kidnappings, violence and lawlessness in the country in recent years. After the assassination of Prime Minister Jovenel Moïse this summer, the country was hit by both an earthquake and tropical storm. Insecurity, instability, and limited economic mobility have propelled Haitians to leave the troubled country in recent years. Last month, almost 15,000 Haitian migrants arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, sheltering under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. The Biden administration deported thousands back to Haiti and many, fearing deportation, crossed back to Mexico. Critics argue that too few Haitians have been allowed to apply for asylum in the United States. This hour, we discuss a country in crisis, our response to the Haitian migrants, the charges of racist immigration policies, and the entangled history between Haiti and the U.S.

Guests:

GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE, journalist and publisher of The Haitian Times
STEVE PAUL, Haitian American Voice board member
DR. JOHANNE LOUIS, founder of the Johanne Louis Foundation.

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