The Trump administration has informed Congress that it plans to declare Haitian gangs to be foreign terrorist organisations, The Associated Press reported.
In February, the State Department deemed eight crime groups in Latin America likewise. Anyone giving the group “material support” faces consequences and penalties as a result of the categorisation.
This follows a series of actions against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which was labelled an invading force and classified as a foreign terror organisation under the 18th-century wartime Alien Enemies Act to support the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to an infamous prison in El Salvador as part of President Donald Trump’s extensive immigration crackdown.
A New-Old Organisation
This Act’s invocation grants the president broad authority to deport and imprison foreign nationals who would otherwise be able to petition for asylum in the United States or have their cases adjudicated in immigration courts.
By using the term “foreign terrorist organisation” to refer to Haitian gangs, the Trump White House is broadening the long-standing American definition of foreign terrorism, which has traditionally been reserved for organisations like al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group.
Notifying Congress
Two people familiar with the notification sent to congressional committees on April 23rd spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.
They said the Trump administration plans to classify the Haitian gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as foreign terrorist organisations.
The designation comes after the Trump administration removed safeguards that prevented the deportation of half a million Haitians in February.
Under a Biden-era policy that allowed individuals from four nations, including Haiti, to remain in the United States for two years as long as they had a financial sponsor and purchased their own plane ticket, tens of thousands of Haitians arrived. That initiative was discontinued by the Trump administration, and statuses admitted during the Biden era are now being revoked.
Haitian Gangs: De Facto Rulers of a Near-Failed State
The formidable gang alliance known as Viv Ansanm, or “Living Together,” was established in September 2023 and brought together over a dozen gangs, including the bitterly opposed G-9 and G-Pèp, two of Haiti’s largest gangs. With about 100 members, Gran Grif, also called the Savien gang, is the largest gang active in Haiti’s central Artibonite region. It is led by Luckson Elan, best known as “General Luckson,” and is also part of the Viv Ansanm coalition.
At least 85% of Haiti’s capital is under gang control, and in recent weeks, Viv Ansanm has attacked hitherto tranquil regions in an effort to seize even more land.