Humanitarian Groups Demand Protection of Haitian Families

CORE and Hispanics in Philanthropy Respond to Inhumane Enforcement at the U.S. Border

This week, the U.S. initiated the deportation of Haitian migrants camped in Del Rio, Texas, to Haiti and blocked others from crossing the border from Mexico as part of a rapid, large-scale expulsion plan. Migrant families, many of whom have spent years seeking asylum and arrived at the U.S. border after making the treacherous journey through Central America and Mexico, have been living in squalid conditions in a makeshift detention camp under a bridge with little to no access to basic life-sustaining supplies.

In response to the untenable living conditions in the border encampment and the U.S.’s initiation of mass deportations, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) along with Hispanics in Philanthropy issued the following joint statement:

“It is inhumane to deport migrants to Haiti. The recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti coupled with ongoing political instability, violence, tropical storms, economic insecurity, and impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic has created dire conditions for many Haitians and the country’s leaders have been clear that Haiti does not have the resources to integrate thousands of deportees without housing. We have seen the incredible strength and will of Haitians, disaster after disaster, yet the response to humanitarian needs by government officials across borders has been unconscionable. 

“The world has witnessed horrific acts of enforcement in response to this situation, instead of empathy and solutions. The basic and fundamental protection of these migrants, many of whom are families with young children, should be the first priority, including providing them with food, water, and shelter in extreme heat.

“The U.S. Government must show stronger support to Haiti to improve security within the country while halting the current deportation of Haitians. A large percentage of Haitian migrants have not been in Haiti for years, some in decades, and have nothing to return to. Right now, migrants need to be granted access to the asylum process. And in the long term, a humane solution will require a combination of humanitarian aid, political advocacy, and support on both sides of the border and within Haiti. We must act now to break this never-ending cycle of disaster and poverty.”

CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), a global crisis response organization whose mission is to serve the most marginalized and vulnerable populations, has already deployed an emergency response team to the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio, Texas to alleviate the immediate impact of the humanitarian crisis and provide migrants there with urgently needed access to basic hygiene kits and COVID-19 vaccines. The organization has reached out to the administration and border agencies overseeing the encampment in an effort to collaborate with officials in providing assistance to this migrant community. Alongside partner organizations, CORE has the ability to rapidly and efficiently mobilize on the ground and provide direct assistance in order to meet the basic needs of these individuals and families.

For more information on developing efforts on the ground, please contact CORE.

Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) is on a mission to strengthen Latinx leadership, influence, and equity by leveraging philanthropic resources with an unwavering focus for social justice and shared prosperity across the Americas. In response to continued long-term humanitarian relief, HIP’s Family Unity Fund works directly to support a network of over 80 high-impact organizations in the U.S. specializing in family reunifications, social, immigration, and legal services, and advocacy. As the leader of a transnational network of foundations, donors, and nonprofits, we are making impactful investments in the Latinx community and developing our leaders so they can effectively address the most pressing issues impacting communities in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean.