The new policy of deporting undocumented Haitians in the US has been put on hold following the devastation to the island by Hurricane Matthew. The US government is likely to re-implement the policy in the future.
Jeh Johnson, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security was in Mexico City to talk with Cabinet officials about issues such as the border and immigration and security. He said that the storm, which resulted in the death of around 1000 people, had caused the suspension of many flights to Haiti. Johnson made it clear that once the current situation has been resolved, the US still intends to make use of the policy change, which was announced several weeks ago.
After a devastating earthquake hit the Caribbean country in 2010, the US stopped deporting undocumented immigrants from Haiti. Instead, the immigrants were freed on humanitarian parole. On 21 September 2016, though, the Department of Homeland Security started to place Haitians in detention facilities. Johnson said that the idea was to begin treating undocumented immigrants from Haiti in the same way as those from other countries.
In recent weeks, thousands of Haitians have begun to arrive at Tijuana, Mexico, in the hope of being able to cross over into the US. This has created serious problems at the border. Immigrant shelters in Mexico are being overwhelmed by the influx, with many people having to sleep on cardboard sheets outside the shelters.