Deported Haitian migrants arrived at Haiti’s main airport in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday and after landing, many of them rushed back toward the plane and threw shoes towards it, reports say.
The deportation of Haitian migrants began Sunday and the United States flew out migrants from Del Rio, Texas. The mass deportation was announced by the Biden administration last week after around 13,000 Haitian immigrants gathered in a camp under the bridge in Del Rio, BBC reported.
Aside from rushing back towards the plane and throwing shoes at it, there was a report that one man even attempted to re-board the aircraft. The plane’s crew acted fast and were able to close the plane’s doors in time.
Likewise, a source told NBC News that the pilots on board on one of the flights Tuesday were assaulted upon arrival in Haiti. Further, three U.S. immigration officers were injured. According to reports, these migrants were angry was because they were not told they would be returning to Haiti.
In Texas, a group of Haitians also created a scene. They reportedly fought Border Patrol agents and tried to escape after they realized they would be deported. The migrants who tried to escape were being transported on a bus to Del Rio, Texas. Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, shared in a news conference: “When the migrants found out they were going to be sent back to Haiti, they took the bus over, and they fled.”
An unnamed U.S. official was quoted by the Associated Press saying that authorities are releasing Haitian migrants into the country on a large scale. Accordingly, these migrants were given notices to appear at immigration offices within 60 days. It is unclear what the next step will be after.
The deportation comes after the migrants have been waiting in their makeshift camp with no food and adequate sanitation as local officials struggled to provide such. Aside from Haitians, there were also Cubans, Peruvians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans waiting to get into the U.S.
Also Read: Haitian Migrants Overtake DHS Transport Bus After Realizing They Were Being Deported
