US military officials said Tuesday that USS Stockdale, USCGC Stone and USCGC Diligence entered Bay of Port-au-Prince to demonstrate US commitment to Haiti's security and stability, as the country faces escalating gang violence and political turmoil ahead of the February 7 end of its Presidential Transitional Council mandate. The deployment, directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth under “Operation Southern Spear,” targets alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Haiti has not held elections since 2016, with gangs controlling large parts of the country, including the capital, contributing to overlapping security, health, and economic crises. Meanwhile, a US judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 350,000 Haitian immigrants, ruling that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted arbitrarily and exceeded her authority. TPS protects holders from deportation and allows them to work, originally granted after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. Activists in Florida, home to over 150,000 Haitians under TPS, welcomed the ruling but warned the situation in Haiti remains unsafe for forced returns. Haiti continues to face severe poverty, gang violence, and weak governance, with ongoing challenges to national stability.
US military officials said Tuesday that USS Stockdale, USCGC Stone and USCGC Diligence entered Bay of Port-au-Prince to demonstrate US commitment to Haiti's security and stability, as the country faces escalating gang violence and political turmoil ahead of the February 7 end of its Presidential Transitional Council mandate. The deployment, directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth under “Operation Southern Spear,” targets alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Haiti has not held elections since 2016, with gangs controlling large parts of the country, including the capital, contributing to overlapping security, health, and economic crises. Meanwhile, a US judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 350,000 Haitian immigrants, ruling that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted arbitrarily and exceeded her authority. TPS protects holders from deportation and allows them to work, originally granted after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. Activists in Florida, home to over 150,000 Haitians under TPS, welcomed the ruling but warned the situation in Haiti remains unsafe for forced returns. Haiti continues to face severe poverty, gang violence, and weak governance, with ongoing challenges to national stability.
US military officials said Tuesday that USS Stockdale, USCGC Stone and USCGC Diligence entered Bay of Port-au-Prince to demonstrate US commitment to Haiti's security and stability, as the country faces escalating gang violence and political turmoil ahead of the February 7 end of its Presidential Transitional Council mandate. The deployment, directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth under “Operation Southern Spear,” targets alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Haiti has not held elections since 2016, with gangs controlling large parts of the country, including the capital, contributing to overlapping security, health, and economic crises. Meanwhile, a US judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 350,000 Haitian immigrants, ruling that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted arbitrarily and exceeded her authority. TPS protects holders from deportation and allows them to work, originally granted after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. Activists in Florida, home to over 150,000 Haitians under TPS, welcomed the ruling but warned the situation in Haiti remains unsafe for forced returns. Haiti continues to face severe poverty, gang violence, and weak governance, with ongoing challenges to national stability.
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US warships arrive off Haiti amid gang violence, political instability
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