US officials say thousands of Haitians are being released, despite ongoing mass deportation flights

Del Rio, Texas – Officials say that Haitian people are being released en masse into the US, but accounts also indicate that large-scale expulsions are not slowing down.

A group of Haitian migrants begins to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas.
A group of Haitian migrants begins to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas.  © IMAGO / Agencia EFE

An unnamed US official said Haitians are being released on a "very, very large scale" into the US, with a second confirming the report, according to the Associated Press.

One of the officials put the number in the thousands and said the migrants had been instructed to appear at an immigration office within 60 days' time.

The other said many of the Haitian nationals at the border were being processed according to US immigration laws rather than being deported, without specifying how many people this applied to.

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But mass deportation flights continue, by all accounts. A third US official said seven flights per day were planned starting Wednesday, while Haitian Bridge Alliance confirmed that three flights were scheduled to depart on Tuesday.

Though it's not clear which criteria are used to determine who gets deported, it appears single adults are the primary targets for expulsion.

Mass releases of Haitian nationals does not jibe with previous statements by the Biden administration, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who said during a Monday trip to Del Rio: "If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned, your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family’s life."

Biden faces sharp criticism from within his own party

Haitian migrants get off a bus after their arrival in the country following their deportation from the United States.
Haitian migrants get off a bus after their arrival in the country following their deportation from the United States.  © IMAGO / Agencia EFE

The treatment of Haitians at the border has faced intense backlash as thousands of migrants are reportedly scheduled for deportation to a country wracked by multiple environmental disasters in addition to political turmoil caused by the former president's assassination.

Public outcry was heightened by images showing white border patrol officers on horseback appearing to whip Black migrants with their reins.

The Biden administration is reportedly investigating border patrol over the actions displayed in the photos.

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But despite getting sharp criticism from within his own party, it doesn't seem Biden is backing down from his deportation policy.

"As the world watches the mass expulsion & racist treatment of Haitian migrants seeking safety, @POTUS and @VP continues to stand on the wrong side of history. We will not forget," Haitian Bridge Alliance tweeted in response.

Cover photo: IMAGO / Agencia EFE

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