“If you are an American citizen and are thinking of going to Haiti, the Trump administration would prefer that you refrain.”
“If you’re an American citizen thinking about going to Haiti, the Trump administration would prefer that you don’t. But if you decide to make the trip anyway, it now has a new, pretty grim piece of advice: leave DNA samples with your healthcare provider and your dental records with your family, just in case they need them to identify your body,” the State Department recommends, the New York Times reported.This warning comes as Haiti remains at the highest alert level from the State Department, ‘Do Not Travel,’ and as the administration is preparing to end the migration protections granted to over 300,000 Haitians and start sending them back to their Caribbean country, the New York Times pointed out.
The recommendation to leave DNA samples and dental records before traveling adds to the long-standing warnings for American citizens about the risks of kidnapping, violent crime, terrorist activities, civil unrest, and limited access to healthcare, the New York newspaper noted.Besides Haiti, this recommendation also applies to other high-risk areas, according to the State Department’s website, which outlines guidance on local laws and U.S. assistance in countries considered dangerous.
The particularly alarming wording of this recommendation was first highlighted back in March in documents filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by lawyers challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) granted to Haitians.
In addition to telling judges that removing this protection against deportation “would put TPS recipients in mortal danger,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers cited the recommendation regarding DNA samples and dental records as evidence that the administration itself considers Haiti a dangerous country.”The idea of leaving DNA samples and dental records shows how absurd it is that” Stephen Miller, chief adviser to Donald Trump, President Donald Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “are considering sending people back to Haiti,” said Ira Kurzban, an immigration lawyer in Miami, whose firm is part of the team that challenged the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to end Haiti’s TPS designation.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers, who ultimately lost their case when the Supreme Court allowed the Department of Homeland Security to end these protections, had argued that ending TPS for Haiti — like for a dozen other countries with predominantly non-white populations — was driven by bias related to race and national origin.”If Haiti is this dangerous, why are we sending people back there, unless this is about continuing Trump’s racist policy and the Department of Homeland Security’s approach, led by Miller and detailed in the district court’s decision?” said Kurzban.
Former State Department officials said they had never seen such language in the travel advisories issued by the department. Several called this recommendation “crazy” or “unbelievable.” One former official pointed out that such a request is usually associated with U.S. military personnel deployed in combat zones.
“Our policy just lacks consistency,” said Keith Mines, a former diplomat who served in Haiti and former vice president of the U.S. Institute of Peace, regarding U.S. policy toward Haiti, which is set to lose its TPS designation on July 24.”On one hand, we try to help; on the other, we sabotage our own efforts at every turn.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration deported more than a hundred Haitian nationals to Cap-Haitien on Thursday. There are indications that the pace of these flights is going to pick up.
Royal Caribbean delays resuming stops at Labadee
Royal Caribbean announced that it is extending the suspension of stops at Labadee, Haiti, until June 2027, the New York Post reported.
“As we continue to assess the situation in Haiti and our ability to offer the best vacations responsibly, we have decided to extend the suspension of our ships’ stops at Labadee until June 2027,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Fox News Digital, the article reads.”This decision was made with the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew members in mind. We have directly informed passengers of these changes,” according to the company cited by the New York Post, which provides the context for this decision.
This extension comes as Haiti — a country rated Level 4 (‘Do Not Travel’) by the U.S. State Department — continues to face widespread gang violence and political instability, the New York Post noted.
“We remain committed to our Labadee team members and strive to make sure they feel informed and supported,” added the spokesperson for the Royal Caribbean group.”We have identified positions within our fleets and destinations to place team members during this downtime,” the company explained.
For now, cruise passengers won’t be able to enjoy this destination.
Passengers speaking on a forum dedicated to Royal Caribbean mentioned that their scheduled stops in Labadee had been replaced by other destinations, such as Grand Cayman, Grand Turk, Cozumel, and Nassau.”Our ties with the Labadee community go far beyond our on-site activities, and we remain proud of the long-standing investments we have made in the area,” said Royal Caribbean Group’s spokesperson, as quoted by the New York Post.
“We continue to support local communities through ongoing humanitarian initiatives, including monthly food donations,” added the Royal Caribbean spokesperson.
