Statement from Commissioner Raquel Batista on Mistreatment and Deportations of Haitian Migrants

Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs


Press Release


Statement from Commissioner Raquel Batista on Mistreatment and Deportations of Haitian Migrants

September 23, 2021

The reports of mistreatment and mass deportation flights of Haitian migrants at the southern border are horrific and abhorrent. The Haitian migrants are refugees fleeing violence, devastation, and political turmoil, and should be treated as such with dignity and respect. More than 14,000 Haitians will be expelled from the United States in the coming weeks if the Biden Administration does not act swiftly to halt deportations and fairly process their claims for protection as U.S. and international law mandates. On behalf of the Haitian community in NYC who are undoubtedly hurting from the images from the border and in Haiti, we call on our federal partners to cease the deportations of Haitian refugees and address the human rights violations at the border immediately.