The Trump administration intends to ramp up deportation flights to Haiti, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The move aims to expedite the removal of thousands of Haitians whose humanitarian protection expired this summer.
The documents show that flights will rise from once monthly to once weekly, potentially adding hundreds of deportations each month. Officials say the schedule may continue in the short term, though plans are still being finalized.
On Thursday, a plane carrying roughly 60‑70 deportees arrived in Cap‑Haitien just before noon local time, according to Human Rights Watch, which had staff on site to monitor the situation.
Just before that landing, another deportation flight arrived, carrying an unexpectedly large number of individuals deported from the Bahamas. The surge overwhelmed Haitian migration authorities and the UN’s International Organization for Migration, said senior researcher Nathalye Cotrino, who was present.
Ms. Cotrino reported that U.S. deportees were waiting in a tent. “People arrived very confused and upset, and a few were aggressive, so it is a delicate situation to manage.”
UN human rights expert Bill O’Neill called the single‑day influx “insane” and said the Haitian government cannot cope. “There is nowhere for these people to go.”
He cited a recent massacre in Kenscoff, near the capital, as evidence of the dangers. “No country should force Haitians back under these conditions.”
The push follows a June Supreme Court ruling that allowed the administration to end Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status. The administration concluded Haiti is safe despite ongoing lawlessness and gang activity.
The State Department warns U.S. travelers about crime, kidnapping, and limited health care in Haiti. The FAA also banned commercial flights to Port‑au‑Prince earlier this year due to instability, with gangs sometimes targeting aircraft.
Former Biden special envoy Daniel Foote, who resigned over Haitian deportations, said many deportees have spent most of their lives in the U.S. and will be sent to a worsening environment. “It just continues to get worse and worse and worse.”
Internal emails show the Department of Homeland Security terminated protections in June 2025 without consulting the State Department, which normally assesses conditions abroad.
While hundreds more are being deported, over 300,000 Haitians previously under protected status remain. The administration is offering $2,600 and a free plane ticket to encourage voluntary self‑deportation.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said courts have ordered the removal of undocumented Haitians and that free flights are available.
To avoid unsafe landings in Port‑au‑Prince, U.S. officials have been diverting flights to the smaller city of Cap‑Haitien, about 120 miles away. ICE has been sending Haitians there monthly, according to Human Rights First policy director Savi Arvey.
Last Thursday, ICE deported more than 160 Haitians to Cap‑Haitien, including some with criminal records, the agency said. The prior flight was in July.
The drive from Cap‑Haitien to Port‑au‑Prince, once a six‑hour trip, is now perilous due to gang control of the highway, which extracts tolls and occasionally kidnaps travelers. Many deportees choose to stay in the safer northern region.
The UN reported 3,050 killings in Haiti during the first half of 2026, largely in Port‑au‑Prince and surrounding areas. Dozens were killed in Kenscoff this week alone.
Approximately 1.5 million people have fled their homes, and nearly 250,000 in the capital live in displacement camps such as schools and government buildings.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the policy, stating TPS was never meant to be permanent and that the Trump administration is “putting America first again.”
The agency declined to confirm future flights for security reasons.
TPS was first granted to Haitians after the 2010 earthquake under President Obama and was extended by the Biden administration due to gang violence. The Trump administration now deems Haiti safe enough for deportations despite its designation as a “shithole” by the president.
ICE has been contacting Haitian immigrants to schedule check‑ins and has fitted some with ankle monitors for tracking, according to advocates.
Secretary Mullin, facing pressure from administration supporters, emphasized that Haitians can either voluntarily leave or be arrested and returned. He described the effort as giving them a choice.
Senior adviser Stephen Miller has previously stated that removing Haitians is an appropriate action when they lack legal status.
“Well, of course, if you no longer have status in this country, then you’re supposed to be deported,” Miller said in June.