WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, has resigned over the Biden administration’s decision to deport many Haitians from the U.S.-Mexico border.
In a resignation letter obtained by PBS and The Washington Post, Foote wrote that he will not be associated with “inhumane” and “counterproductive” decision to send refugees back to Haiti, “a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life.”
Foote went on to say that be believes America’s policy approach in Haiti “remains deeply flawed,” and he claims his recommendations have been “ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different” than his own.
Foote had only been in the position since July, when The Associated Press says he was appointed following the assassination of Haiti’s president.
SCOOP: Special Envoy for Haiti, Amb Daniel Foote, a career member of foreign service, has RESIGNED. In his letter of resignation, he says he will not be associated with the U.S.'s "inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees." Letter attached. pic.twitter.com/KlW5GoTF3u
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) September 23, 2021
Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving along to Del Rio, Texas, as they flee the Caribbean country that has been plagued by civil strife and natural disasters, including a large earthquake and strong storms over the summer. The nation is also wracked with poverty, crime, and a lack of humanitarian resources to address these issues.
While some of the Haitians camped at the border are being deported, many are being released in the U.S. and given notices to appear in immigration court or an immigration office, though the criteria for who gets to stay is unclear, the AP reports citing U.S. officials. Those officials said Haitians have been freed on a “very, very large scale” in recent days.
