Where Hope Goes to Die

After the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, the U.S. halted almost all deportations to Haiti, except for convicts—who are sent home with few prospects, and a stigma that will follow them for life.

Photos by Bess Adler

After the 2010 earthquake, a catastrophic occurrence that killed 300,000 Haitian people and devastated an already financially lacking country where healthcare is scarce, the U.S. halted deportations of Haitian immigrants. Qualifying Haitian nationals living in the U.S. on the date of the earthquake were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), even if they lacked other lawful immigration status. However, people who have been convicted of two misdemeanors or one felony offense fall outside the scope of TPS protection and can still be deported. According to a deportation report by The University of Miami Law Immigration Clinic, “under current U.S. immigration law, even long-term lawful permanent residents with U.S. citizen spouses and children can be deported for certain crimes, including misdemeanors.”

Currently, a flight of twenty to forty Haitian-American deportees arrives in Port-au-Prince once a month as a result of criminal prosecution. Many of these people arr…