Haiti’s Transitional Council President Says Trump’s Immigration Policy Will Devastate The Country

Leslie Voltaire says Trump will not offer any assistance to Haiti given his past comments about the island nation.

Leslie Voltaire, president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, said the Trump administration’s decision to end funding for aid programs, deport migrants, and block refugees represents a nightmare for the island nation.

Voltaire talked with the Associated Press following his Jan. 25 meeting with Pope Francis at The Vatican.

“I’m knocking on the doors of people who love Haiti. The pope loves Haiti, and he is eager to help,” Voltaire told reporters.

Half of Haiti’s 11.6 million residents are going hungry. Freezing humanitarian aid will only push those numbers up further, and Voltaire does not believe President Trump will offer any assistance to Haiti.

“Trump said that Haiti is a ‘sh*thole,’ so I don’t think he will care about Haiti,” Voltaire said. The new policies of the United States, he added, likely ensures that “the situation will be catastrophic.”

Voltaire also referenced the Trump administration’s plans to expel the 1.5 million Haitians who are living in the United States, saying that the country, already dealing with a morass of problems stemming from the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, cannot handle the influx of people.

According to the AP, a report from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres claims the gangs in Haiti could completely break down the country’s current governmental capabilities unless there is international support for the country’s police force.

“This could allow the gangs to overrun the entire metropolitan area, resulting in a complete breakdown of state authority and rendering international operations, including those to support communities in need, in the country untenable,” Guterres said. “We must urgently do everything in our power to prevent such an outcome.”

Voltaire remains confident that if security in Haiti is bolstered through a multi-national peacekeeping force, the country can hold elections in November.

“We have to do a referendum on a new constitution and also the election at the end of November. I say that we can do the elections because we have like eight departments, like 80% of the country. We can do the election,” Voltaire said.

Guterres’ prognosis is less optimistic, however, especially since progress on the transition in Haiti has been much slower than anticipated.

“Simply put, the goal of restoring democratic institutions by February 2026 is in jeopardy. Disagreements among authorities and stakeholders on power-sharing and ways to strengthen transitional governance have hindered progress. Ongoing allegations of corruption risk further eroding public trust in the political transition,” Guterres said.

According to The Miami Herald, Dorothy Camille Shea, the United States representative on Haiti’s Security Council, pushed for the transitional government to end its political in-fighting and focus on gaining the trust of the Haitian people.

“We strongly encourage Haitian efforts aimed at addressing corruption allegations and promoting transparency and accountability,” she added. “These measures are essential for the transition government to maintain the trust of the Haitian people.”