WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A controversial travel ban enacted by President Donald Trump officially went into effect this week, targeting 12 countries—among them, Haiti.
Critics said the new policy unfairly punishes people most in need of protection, especially as Haiti faces unprecedented levels of gang violence, political instability, and humanitarian crisis.
Advocates in South Florida are sounding the alarm, warning that the ban could block access to safety for desperate families and disrupt crucial relief efforts already underway.
As gang violence grips Haiti, aid organizations said it's getting harder—and more dangerous—to help.
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"It's horrific, it's terrible—the gangs are out of control," said Joe Karabensh, president of Missionary Flights, a Christian nonprofit based in St. Lucie County. "They are pillaging places, they're destroying even compounds of the organizations we work with."
Missionary Flights delivers critical supplies to Haiti each week. Karabensh said while the travel ban won't stop their aircraft, it could prevent faith-based partners—who often travel under tourist visas—from entering the country and continuing their work.
"It could devastate children and others that are expecting to be fed from these food programs," he said. "We fly out out tomorrow and right now we do not have any Haitians that have the tourist visas this week, but we do next week, and so we need to get clarification on if they'll still be allowed to fly."
The Trump administration said the ban is meant to prevent visa overstays and protect national security. However, immigration attorney Philip Brutus, the first Haitian American elected to the Florida Legislature, said there's no evidence that Haiti poses a threat to the United States.
"I think it's overkill," Brutus said. "There's nothing that shows that this country presents a threat to the U.S. The embassy has shut down for the last two years, they have not processed any visas for the last two years."
Brutus said the people most affected by the ban are also the most vulnerable—those fleeing dangerous conditions in Haiti and seeking asylum.
"The misery and the hardship they are going through right now is unprecedented," he said.
The White House has defended the policy, citing visa overstay rates and pointing to a recent deadly attack in Colorado by a man who overstayed a tourist visa. That man was from Egypt—a country not on the banned list.
According to the U.S. State Department, travelers with previously issued visas from Haiti and the other 11 countries will still be allowed entry. But for new applicants—unless they qualify for narrow exemptions—visa doors are now effectively closed.
