United States Democratic Congressman Gregory W. Meeks has urged President Donald rump to offer ‘sustained support’ for Haiti amid escalating socio-economic crises facing the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
In a full committee hearing entitled ‘Confronting Haiti’s Terrorist Gangs: The Gang Suppression Force and the Path Ahead,’ Meeks, a Ranking Member of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said that, ‘for years, Haiti has endured a convergence of violence, political instability, economic collapse, and humanitarian suffering that has no parallel in our hemisphere. ‘Armed gangs control large parts of Haiti’s capital; families have been driven from their homes; women and children face gender-based violence; hospitals struggle to function; schools have closed; nearly 5.7 million Haitians – half of the country – face acute food insecurity,’ said the representative for the 5th Congressional District in Queens, New York.
‘While we may not all agree on the best approach to addressing this crisis, I believe we can all agree that US-Haiti policy – under Democratic and Republican administrations alike – has fallen short,’ he added.
He said closing that gap is not only a matter of conscience; it’s a matter of national and regional security and that helping Haiti overcome this crisis is not charity; it’s a strategic investment in a safer, more prosperous hemisphere.
‘But in doing so, we must recognize that another US-imposed solution will not work. Haiti’s future cannot be designed in Washington, New York, or Geneva. Lasting progress must be Haitian-led and accountable to the Haitian people.
‘The US should offer sustained support, and we must work with like-minded countries around the world, but as partners, not architects,’ the congressman said.
He said with proper implementation, the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) can help Haitian authorities push back against gangs, secure critical infrastructure and create the conditions for Haitians to begin rebuilding their country.
‘I hope it’s successful. But we must also be honest about what the GSF cannot do. It cannot replace legitimate governance. It cannot substitute for long-term investments in institutions, economic opportunity, or public trust.
‘You can capture or kill gang members, but if you do not address the broken political and economic system that creates, finances and replenishes these gangs, the cycle of violence will only continue,’ he warned.
Meeks said that if the proposed 5,500 strong GSF mission is not paired with a serious political process, humanitarian relief, and a plan to reclaim gang-controlled territory, then any gains will be temporary.
Ge said security without a political and economic strategy is not a solution, it is only a pause.
‘Any security mission in Haiti must also be accompanied by disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes,’ he said, noting that humanitarian assistance must flow alongside security assistance, ‘because Haitians need food, medicine and shelter.
‘That means the Trump administration must bring forward a comprehensive strategy equal to the scale of the crisis.. The administration should start by reversing its own damaging policies. The gutting of US foreign aid has hit Haiti particularly hard.
‘And even as the administration warns Americans against traveling to Haiti, it claims the island is safe enough to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and deport some 350,000 Haitians. This is not just cruel; it’s contradictory; and it will only exacerbate instability in Haiti.’
In addition, Meeks urged the Trump administration to ‘identify and hold accountable those members of Haiti’s political and economic elite who are supporting the gangs.
‘It has failed to do so adequately, despite a Congressional mandate in my bipartisan Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, which became law last year. Congress can do more as well.’
Meeks said he introduced the ‘SAK PASE in Haiti Act,’ with Representative Murphy of North Carolina, which would require the State Department to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter instability in Haiti.
‘Congress should pass it today, and unless Congress reauthorizes HOPE/HELP for an extended period, jobs that are a lifeline for Haitians fleeing gang violence will evaporate.’
Meeks said support for Haiti has long had bipartisan backing in Congress, ‘because the American people understand the suffering the Haitian people have endured and want to help’.
He said after the 2010 earthquake which killed more than 300,000 people, Americans across the country mobilized, ‘because that is who we are.
‘The United States has a responsibility to lead. But we must do so in a way that avoids repeating the mistakes of the past, centers Haitian voices, and delivers the partnership this moment demands.’
Last week, US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also urged Senate Republicans to ‘stand up to Trump’s vilification of Haitians’, demanding that they rescind TPS for over 350,000 Haitians living in the United States.
‘The Haitian community is woven into the fabric of our great American family, but Donald Trump is trying to tear it apart by terminating Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status,’ said Schumer, speaking on the Senate floor.
‘As someone who takes great pride in representing the state that is home to the largest Haitian population in the country, I know just how important the Haitian community is to the American economy, to culture, to society,’ the Democrat said.