A person rides a motorcycle through street fires, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 1, 2024, a day after gang violence left at least five dead and twenty injured. Gang violence in Haiti has surged since 2021. File Photo by Johnson Sabin/EPA-EFE
Nov. 24 (UPI) — The United States on Monday announced it was imposing visa restrictions on Haitian government officials the Trump administration accuses of supporting gangs and other criminal organizations in the Caribbean nation.
Individuals affected were not identified in the State Department press release, which said the move comes under a Biden-era policy targeting those who provide financial or material support to gangs and criminal organizations operating in Haiti.
“The United States remains committed to supporting Haiti’s stability and expects measurable progress toward free and fair elections,” the State Department spokesperson said.
“The Haitian people have had enough with gang violence, destruction and political infighting. The Trump administration will promote accountability for those who continue to destabilize Haiti and our region.”
Haiti has suffered from a political crisis and a surge in gang violence since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July 2021.
Criminal violence has since exploded, with gangs controlling much of Port-au-Prince. In a Nov. 12 press release, United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti said at least 1,247 people were killed and 710 injured between July 1 and Sept. 30 in the capital area. There were also 145 kidnappings and 400 victims of sexual violence, it said.
More than 1.4 million have been displaced across the country.
Between April 1 and June 30, there were at least 1,520 people killed and 609 injured, 185 kidnappings and 628 victims of sexual violence, the BINUM said in a previous update.
The Biden administration announced the visa restriction policy, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, in October 2022.
The move comes as the Trump administration is conducting an immigration crackdown.
The Trump administration has sought to end temporary protection status for Haiti, which shields some Haitian nationals in the United States from deportation. However, the move is being challenged in the courts.