May 2, 2025

Contact: Paige Censale, pcensale@haitianbridge.org

San Diego. CA. – Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) strongly opposes the Trump administration’s designation of two prominent Haitian gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and should instead impose targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act. The current designation, absent a comprehensive strategy that addresses Haiti’s insecurity and humanitarian crisis, would be legally unsound, diplomatically damaging, and devastating to innocent Haitians.

Under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act  (8 U.S.C. § 1189), an entity may be designated as an FTO only if:

• It is a foreign organization;
• It engages in “terrorist activity” as defined in INA § 212(a)(3)(B) or “terrorism” under 22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2); and
• Its activity threatens the national security of the United States or the safety of U.S. nationals.

Haitian gangs, while undeniably violent and destabilizing, are criminal in nature—not ideological. Their motives are rooted in territorial control, extortion, and survival amid state collapse—not in political or religious extremism. These groups do not fit the statutory definition of terrorism and should not be mischaracterized to justify punitive immigration or security policies.

“A Foreign Terrorist Organization designation would not weaken the gangs—it would criminalize survivors, block humanitarian aid, and escalate deportations of people fleeing for their lives,” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “We must pursue lawful, effective tools—not political theater. We call on CARICOM and the Organization of American States to speak against this designation.”

We echo the concerns expressed by Congressman Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who warned that an FTO designation “absent a clear, comprehensive U.S. strategy to defeat the gangs and their enablers, is counterproductive and will only exacerbate Haitians’ suffering.”

Such a designation would trigger immigration bars under U.S. law, punish victims coerced by gangs under the “material support” doctrine, and deter NGOs from delivering aid to areas most in need. It would further destabilize the region, strain U.S.-Caribbean relations, and complicate multilateral coordination on the ground. Furthermore, this move reflects a troubling precedent in how the United States may continue to expand the use of counterterrorism frameworks to address complex social and political crises—particularly in the Western Hemisphere.

Rather than designations that isolate and harm, HBA urges the U.S. government to:

• Increase targeted sanctions on financiers, arms traffickers, and corrupt elites, including American citizens who are aiding and abetting gangs in their criminal activities;
• Increase funding for the Haitian National Police and other security forces
• Restrict the flow of weapons coming to the island from the United States
• Work with neighboring countries like the Dominican Republic to also restrict the flow of weapons into the country
• Invest in the rebuilding of the Haitian State through direct foreign investments
• Bolster funding for Haitian civil society and local governance;
• Strengthen legal pathways for Haitians seeking protection in the U.S.
• Name a Special Envoy from the diaspora to report directly to the White House National Security Council(NSC)

Haitian Bridge Alliance remains committed to advocating for policy rooted in justice, strategy, and humanity. We call on the State Department to reverse this designation and instead lead a principled, effective response that empowers Haitians—not punishes them.