AUGUST 7, 2026
Contact: media@haitianbridge.org,  info@haitianbridge.org

SAN DIEGO, CA — Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) is raising serious concerns over reports that the Trump-Vance administration is advancing a proposed pilot program that could require certain prospective immigrants to post financial bonds of up to $250,000 as a condition of receiving an immigrant visa.

The proposed policy is a further clear indication that this administration is using financial barriers to restrict lawful immigration opportunities for people coming from the Global South. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) already provides a framework for assessing eligibility through an individualized review of an applicant’s circumstances. Requiring six-figure financial bonds risks transforming the immigration system into one where access to lawful pathways depends not on eligibility, family ties, or merit—but on wealth.

“This proposal threatens to create a two-tiered immigration system where only the wealthy can access the promise of America,” A $250,000 bond is not a simple administrative requirement—it is an insurmountable barrier for many Black and brown families from the Global South, said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “Immigration policy should not be based on a person’s ability to pay a six-figure bond nor their country of origin. This approach raises profound concerns about fairness, equity, and the rights of immigrant families.”

HBA calls on Congress to exercise its constitutional oversight authority by investigating the legal basis, scope, and impact of this proposed policy. We further urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

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