May 7, 2025

Contact: Paige Censale, pcensale@haitianbridge.org

San Diego, CA – Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) extends a warm welcome to the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, the Honorable Philip J. Pierre, Eastern, Bahamas Heads of Government, and fellow Caribbean leaders visiting Washington, D.C. this week. As Chair of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Prime Minister’s voice is especially important at this pivotal time of regional insecurity and shifting U.S. foreign policy.

In anticipation of the OECS delegation’s meeting with Secretary Marco Rubio on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, HBA formally sent a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to raise strong objections to the recent designation of two Haitian gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the Trump administration.

In the letter, HBA emphasized that:

“This action is not only legally questionable and strategically misguided—it also sets a dangerous precedent that could have far-reaching implications for the entire Caribbean region.”

HBA stressed that while gang violence in Haiti is severe, these groups are criminal, not ideological, and do not meet the legal definition of terrorism under U.S. law. Under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, an FTO designation must involve ideological intent and a threat to U.S. national security—criteria Haitian gangs do not fulfill.

HBA warned in the letter that the FTO designation:

• Risks criminalizing survivors of gang violence and disrupting humanitarian operations;
• Could trigger deportations of vulnerable individuals seeking protection in the U.S.;
• Undermines the work of Haitian and international NGOs serving at-risk communities;
• And threatens U.S.-Caribbean relations by normalizing militarized responses to instability without consultation.

“While Haiti is not a member of OECS, this decision dangerously expands the use of U.S. counterterrorism tools in ways that could impact other fragile Caribbean nations,” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of HBA. “If Haiti is treated as a testing ground for punitive policies, who’s next—Jamaica? Trinidad and Tobago? We urge OECS leaders to push back before this becomes regional precedent.”

Instead of this sweeping and harmful designation, HBA recommends the U.S. pursue a strategy grounded in law and diplomacy, including:

• Targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act against arms traffickers and corrupt enablers;
• Support for the Haitian National Police and other legitimate institutions;
• Regional enforcement cooperation to stop arms smuggling;
• And long-term investment in rebuilding Haiti’s governance and infrastructure.

Quoting Ranking Member Gregory Meeks of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the letter echoes his concern that the FTO designation, “absent a clear, comprehensive U.S. strategy to defeat the gangs and their enablers, is counterproductive and will only exacerbate Haitians’ suffering.”

ABOUT HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE

Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), also known as “The Bridge”, is a grassroots community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies, foreign policy, and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black migrants, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. HBA also seeks to elevate the issues unique to Black migrants and builds solidarity and collective movement toward policy change. Anpil men chay pa lou (“Many hands make the load light”). Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @haitianbridge