On Monday, a huge group of protesters blocked the entrance to Port Miami, demanding that the recent deportations of Haitian immigrants be stopped.
Protesters Demand Harris, Biden To Stop Deporting Haitians
As police stood close that showed the gathering of protesters holding banners that said: "Stop deporting Haitians" and "Kamala Harris: Deliver citizenship for millions," protesters gathered at around 12:30 p.m. ET., as per Newsweek.
Protests have been going on in Miami for many weeks. On September 22, more than a hundred people gathered outside the city's US Citizenship and Immigration Services office to urge the Biden administration to accept Haitians leaving their unsafe nation.
Protesters started shouting at one point: "Joe Biden, we're furious. We don't play when we're furious, Joe Biden." It's written in Haitian Creole. Meanwhile, Miami Gardens Councilwoman Linda Julien, the first Haitian American person elected to public office in the city, said at the gathering, "Why can't we be afforded the same treatment as the Afghans and the Cubans and everyone else? We're tired," according to a published article in HEAD TOPICS.
Miami Police Officers Caught by Surprise
Miami Police Officers on the site informed a local news source that they interfered and tried to disperse the protestors after they blocked the port entrance. Officers started making arrests when they did not willingly clear the path.
Officer Michael Vega said they were caught by surprise. They hadn't expected them to tie their hands and lie before the port's entrance. They were told that until they stopped or got up and moved, they would be arrested. They were eventually apprehended after disobeying their orders, according to a published article in Miami Herald.
The Surge of Haitian Immigrants
As the Caribbean nation grapples with numerous disruptive events, the United States has witnessed a new influx of Haitian immigration. A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the island country in August, killing more than 700 people. President Jovenel Mose had been murdered in his house a month before a nocturnal assault posing as a "DEA operation." These all contributed to the surge of Haitian immigrants in the country.
Despite promises of assistance from the US government, Haitian migrants have been subjected to large deportations and abuse by border authorities. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz promised to examine the use of force by border officers against migrants, despite contradictory accounts, according to BVC News.
Biden Administration Condemns the Action of Border Patrol Officers
In a published article in The New York Times, President Biden said Border Patrol agents who apprehended Haitian migrants crossing the Rio Grande would "pay," calling the scene at the southwestern border "horrible to see" despite the fact that several members of his administration stressed that an investigation into what happened was still ongoing.
Images of Border Patrol officers on horseback waving their reins and forcing migrants back into the Rio Grande have sparked a barrage of condemnation from Democrats and human rights organizations, who accused Biden of carrying on President Donald J. Trump's most harsh immigration policies.
