Overview:
U.S. authorities carried out their third consecutive deportation flight to Haiti on Thursday, sending 101 Haitian nationals to Cap-Haïtien following the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The flight brings the total number deported on the three U.S. flights to 319, while GARR says 1,187 Haitians have been returned by the United States so far this year. The deportations come amid Haiti’s severe security and humanitarian crisis, with nearly 4,000 people killed by gang violence.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The United States authorities deported 101 Haitians to Cap-Haïtien on Thursday, marking the third consecutive deportation flight to Haiti since the Trump administration moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
The latest group brings to 319 the number of Haitians deported on three U.S. flights since August. The deportations are taking place as Haiti faces a severe security and humanitarian crisis and struggles to receive and reintegrate returnees.
The deportees were not former TPS beneficiaries, but their arrival in Cap-Haïtien underscores the growing pressure on Haiti as Washington prepares to send about 250 Haitians back each week
More than 300,000 Haitians who have relied on TPS face the possibility of removal following a July U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for the protections to end.
The ICE Air expulsion flight departed Miami for Cap-Haïtien International Airport, according to multiple reports.
Around 9:15 a.m. EST Thursday, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin shared a photograph on X showing Haitian migrants lining up to board an aircraft, some appearing to be restrained with leg chains and reinforced seat belts.
“Good morning, America. Today’s deportation destination: HAITI,” Mullin wrote in the post announcing the flight.
Some people quickly reacted to the optics and context surrounding the message posted by the U.S.’ top homeland security official.
“He knows what he’s doing with these optics. Vile piece of s***,” a user commenting under the profile Chip Drink wrote.
“This perp walk of black people in chains begets hate and is a pathetic show of persecution,” another, Thcartwright, added.
U.S. authorities previously informed Haitian officials that they planned to conduct two deportation flights per week, carrying as many as 250 migrants.
The number of people aboard Thursday’s flight was initially reported as 78 by the Haitian Bridge Alliance, according to LSV Media Production. The Miami Herald later reported that 101 deportees arrived in Haiti.
The authorities have not publicly disclosed the immigration status or circumstances of all those deported on the flight.
Journalists barred from disembarkation area
Reporters were denied access to the section of Cap-Haïtien International Airport where the deportees were being disembarked.
An Aug. 31 circular from the National Airport Authority (AAN) said the restriction was intended to protect the privacy and dignity of the returnees and ensure smooth airport operations. It also prohibited photographs and video recordings during disembarkation and reception processes.
“This measure is intended to ensure respect for the privacy and dignity of the returnees while also ensuring the smooth operation of airport activities,” the AAN said.
The latest arrivals add to the growing number of Haitians returned from the United States this year.
“Given this situation, we can no longer continue receiving people into the country.”
Stenley Orbruth Doriscar, GARR Communications officer
Earlier this week, an official from the Support Group for Returnees and Refugees (GARR) said that the United States has returned at least 1,187 Haitians to the country so far this year. The U.S. comes second to the Dominican Republic, which has deported 194,465 Haitians during the same period, GARR reported.
Representatives of the United Nations concurred, saying nearly 200,000 people were deported to Haiti from various countries during the first eight months of 2026.
Concerns over Haiti’s capacity
The acceleration of U.S. deportations comes as Haiti faces persistent gang violence, mass displacement and strained humanitarian services.
Human rights and migrant-support organizations have warned that returning Haitians to the country under current conditions could expose them to further hardship, particularly those with no stable housing, employment or family support.
GARR has criticized the continued deportations, arguing that Haiti lacks the conditions necessary to receive returnees safely and with dignity.
“Given this situation, we can no longer continue receiving people into the country,” Stenley Orbruth Doriscar, GARR’s communications officer, told The Haitian Times.
The concerns are likely to intensify if the U.S. government proceeds with larger or more frequent deportation flights while thousands of Haitians lose TPS protections.
The Supreme Court’s July ruling allowed the Trump administration to proceed with ending TPS for Haitians, potentially exposing more than 300,000 people to deportation. The designation had protected eligible Haitians from deportation and allowed them to work legally in the United States.
For Haiti, the end of TPS presents another challenge for a country already struggling to absorb people displaced by violence and economic instability. The government and humanitarian agencies face pressure to provide housing, transportation, health care and other services to returnees while also assisting more than 1 million people displaced inside the country.
The latest deportation flight underscores the widening gap between the scale of removals being planned by U.S. authorities and Haiti’s ability to receive and support returnees.
