The US is on the brink of a major national security threat as violence rages on in Haiti, displacing 15,000 people in just one week.
In 2023, roughly 70,000 Haitians fled to the US, and leaders are concerned this could only get worse as gangs tighten their grip on the country.
Haitian gangs have so far killed over 3,700 people and control over 80 percent of the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince. They also shut down the airport, making international responses and freeing trapped US citizens extremely difficult.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already announced a crackdown on immigration into his state – which poses the easiest route into the US from Haiti.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also encouraged Kenya to mobilize 1,000 police officers to protect Haiti – a pledge it made last year under a Multinational Security Support Mission.
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As well as politicians, experts are also raising the alarm over the impending national security threat. Chief of staff and senior advisor at think tank the Wilson Centre, Eddy Acevedo, said the country is on the brink of a “mass migration.”
He told Fox News Digital: “A failed state controlled by criminals, drug traffickers, mass murderers and gangs so close to US soil is not in the foreign policy interests of the US.
“[The] greatest threat facing the US regarding Haiti is further instability in the country, which could endanger the lives of millions of Haitians and risk a mass migration.”
Migration is a key concern of US citizens, especially in the run up to the 2024 presidential election, and so politicians are scrambling to coordinate efforts to mitigate a potential mass exodus from Haiti.
Juan Cruz, a former National Security Council senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs, warned of the possibility that drug traffickers to enter the US from Haiti.
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He also told the outlet: “It’s not in anyone’s interest to have Haiti upside down. Do we want a lawless Haiti that makes it a friendly place for drug traffickers to be that much closer to the US or use it as a stepping stone to what we usually call our third border? Or do we want them to create a crisis in the Dominican Republic next door, where we have a friendly government to the US?
“Everybody’s been in, and everybody’s paid the price. We’ve all been there. We’ve all seen this movie play out, and it doesn’t end well. I fear that, at some point, we’re going to see boots on the ground that are not Kenyan.”
Acevedo echoed this worry, highlighting the potential for Haiti to “fall” if nothing is done. He said: “The utmost priority now must be to address the security situation in Haiti.
“Without stabilizing Haiti’s security environment, elections and a viable political solution cannot move forward. Haiti’s National Police are trying to confront and push back the gangs, but the cavalry must arrive soon or else Haiti will fall.”
As the civil unrest across Haiti continues, the US is pushing for a transitional government to tackle the current gangs in power.
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