HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE HONORS HAITIAN FLAG DAY WITH URGENT CALL FOR THE U.S. TO DISMANTLE RACIST IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND STRENGTHEN BILATERAL AND TRADE RELATIONS WITH HAITI
May 18, 2025
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SAN DIEGO, CA – On this Haitian Flag Day, the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) honors the legacy of Haiti’s revolutionary spirit and reaffirms its commitment to justice, dignity, and liberation for all Haitian people.
May 18, 1803, marks the creation of the Haitian flag—born out of resistance and the collective will of formerly enslaved Africans who dared to envision freedom in a world built on their oppression. Today, we uplift that legacy by continuing the fight against the discriminatory systems that deny Haitian people the right to safety, dignity, and opportunity.
More than two centuries later, Haiti still suffers the consequences of global anti-Blackness, political exclusion, and economic strangulation—much of it perpetuated by foreign intervention and harmful U.S. policies. As Haiti faces an escalating humanitarian, political, and security crisis, the United States must not turn its back on the Haitian people.
We demand bold action:
- End all expulsions and deportations to Haiti. Forcibly removing people to a country ravaged by violence and instability is inhumane and violates international human rights obligations.
- Grant permanent protections for Haitian migrants. This includes expanding and redesignating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and ensuring accessible asylum processes free from detention and family separation.
- Reject racist immigration policies that criminalize Black migration while fast-tracking protections for others based on race and politics. U.S. immigration policy must reflect its stated values of equality and justice—not double standards rooted in white supremacy.
- Adopt a foreign policy that centers Haitian sovereignty, human rights, and economic development. The future of U.S.–Haiti relations must move beyond charity and control and toward partnership and accountability.
Guerline Jozef, Executive Director, Haitian Bridge Alliance released the following statement:
“Haitian Flag Day is not just a celebration—it’s a reminder that Black liberation is non-negotiable. If the U.S. truly stands for democracy and freedom, it must stop criminalizing those who flee instability and start supporting policies that uplift Haitian lives at home and abroad.”
As we raise our flag in pride today, we call on our allies in Congress, the White House, and across civil society: stand with us not just in celebration, but in transformation.
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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”).
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