Now that Donald Trump has been elected President, thousands of Haitian nationals may soon be facing deportation.
The thousands of Haitians awaiting an appointment with the U.S. government could see their chances for obtaining political asylum dwindle even further. While more than 4,000 of them were allowed to enter San Diego and other places in the U.S. through a humanitarian permit prior to September 22, the thousands more who are still stuck in Tijuana and in detention centers were hoping for a new reform or policy that would enable them to pursue the American dream and start a new life after having to leave Haiti after the earthquake and subsequent economic crisis.
Anthropologist Victor Clark Alfaro, director of the Binational Center for Human Rights in Tijuana and a lecturer at San Diego State University, stated that Haitians are currently being transported to Detention Centers in Colorado, Washington state, and throughout California, where most await imminent deportation.
The American Friends Service Committee in San Diego pointed out that the President-elect’s group of advisors – most of whom are anti-immigrant – have proposed to not allow minority migrants seeking entry into the U.S. to request asylum without having first asked for asylum in the country they arrived to immediately after leaving their country of birth.
“This would eliminate the possibility for any immigrant, no matter where he/she is fleeing from, to request asylum [in the U.S.] if they have travelled through any other country. This would have serious consequences here, so the best thing would be for President Barack Obama to try to change policy in order to benefit those seeking entry and expedite the process, because as soon as the new President takes offices, the doors may close completely for those seeking asylum,” said American Friends Service Committee San Diego Director Pedro Ríos.
One of the issues is that Americans are worried about changes and overpopulation population in border cities that could be brought about by the huge waves of immigrants coming to San Diego and Tijuana.
“I think that was one of the reasons that led to England’s withdrawal from the European Union; the so-called Brexit was due in part to how population has changed and how more refugees have entered the country… people blame this for their not being able to earn what they feel they deserve,” added Pedro Ríos.
However, researchers feel confident that these changes in U.S. policy will also keep thousands of immigrants from even attempting to come to the United States in search for a better life. “As soon as they find out that they will be sent to Immigration Detention Centers and news of this spreads, which is likely already happening, chances will go down to zero, because they’d have no reason to come, and particularly to make such a long journey,” said Victor Clark Alfaro.