The United States and Haiti have a long history of a see-saw relationship, with the bilateral relations coming to the pinnacle in Bill Clinton’s tenure.
As the country struggles for a democratic transition in the near future, the assassination of the incumbent president Jovenel Moise seems to be a paradigm shift in this relation.
The United States has already denied military assistance to Haiti, despite the official request of the Caribbean nation.
This came at a time when the US is already struggling to address the immigration issue at the southern border.
With a more significant number of Haitian immigrants amassing on the Texas-Mexico border this year, the immigrants could even swell to an unprecedented number if the US does not help fix Haiti’s “internal issues” immediately.
What does the US denial to give military assistance to Haiti mean, and how can it foster the immigration crisis on the US borders once again? Let’s see.
Haiti Under Political Unrest: An Upcoming Immigration Crisis for the US
The White House has officially denied Haiti’s request for the assistance of US troops to keep law and order intact in the country.
As the social unrests cause a drastic upheaval in the country’s political environment, Haiti’s critical infrastructure is at stake that can face a considerable amount of damage through protests.
The elections are also nearing, which demands a peaceful environment in the country.
As the US said that the FBI would assist in the killing investigation without sending troops to the Caribbean nation, the political unrest in the country is only bound to accelerate.
The politics of both the US and Haiti are complexly intertwined, and the unrest in Haiti is expected to trigger a crisis on the US borders and possibly in the highest offices as well.
At times when Kamala Harris’s office is already divided, primarily on the immigration issues, any other border crisis can escalate the situation further.
In times when a significant number of people are already approaching the Texas-Mexico border, this decision of the Biden administration can pull more people to America.
Clintons: The Frontline Defenders of Haiti in the United States
The Clintons have been the leading figure in mending the US relationship with Haiti.
Clintons’ dedicated charity running in Haiti is sponsoring at least 34 projects, changing the course of the economy for the younger generation.
This is one of the reasons why at least 80 percent of Haitian Americans voted in favor of Hillary Clinton despite Donald Trump’s attempt to lure them into his trap.
President Joe Biden can see this as an opportunity to cement his vote bank from Haiti Americans for the 2022 midterm and the 2024 presidential elections.
The United States has nothing to lose, giving armed assistance to maintain law and order in Haiti, considering that the authorities themselves are demanding it.
The United States had already ditched the country in the recent past when Haiti was hit hard by an earthquake resulting in widescale devastation.
The US pledged to rebuild the country, a promise that never materialized.
The subsequent administrations in the United States have supported the Jovenel Moise government, which faced backlash even from the US Congress.
The US’s unconditional support helped him seize more powers, pushing the country to the brink of authoritarianism.
Despite the expiry of his presidential tenure back in February, the US-supported Moise’s claim that his term is not over yet, which encouraged the autocratic president to go bonkers.
Final Thoughts
The United States has nothing to lose engaging within the Caribbean nation for the pursuit of law and order.
While the Clinton Foundation is in full swing in promoting humanitarian aid to the troubled nation, a bit of policing help could ease the upcoming tensions at the US borders.
Otherwise, the United States must prepare itself for yet another refugee crisis, pushing the department of Homeland Security into chaos.
The deteriorating situation of law and order and pervasive protests are also likely to invoke the COVID crisis in the country.
As 69 lawmakers from the United States wrote to Antoney Blinken calling for the administration to dilute US support of Moise, the distrust was apparent among the legislators.
The international community has flooded significant donations to Haiti for political stability and better law and order situation, and if the US efforts are not catalyzed once again, all the charity will go in vain.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.