First flight of Americans Arrives in Miami from Haiti

The first government-chartered flight carrying American citizens arrived in Miami on Sunday. 

The State Department acknowledged last week that it had no idea how many Americans are in Haiti and did not have a plan to help them get out of the country. 

There were 166 seats available on the flight but only 47 American citizens accepted the offer to fly on the government-chartered plane that arrived in Miami International Airport. They were required to have a valid American passport. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince urged Americans to leave “as soon as possible” when gang violence took control of the island. 

Major breakouts occurred in the country’s two largest prisons which led to the escape of thousands of prisoners, including many violent gang leaders. 

The island’s main airport in the capital city of Port-au-Prince is closed. The State Department announced on Saturday that it would offer limited charter flights for American citizens from Cap-Haitien, a less chaotic city on the island’s northern part. However, the State Department said that it could not provide ground transportation to Cap-Haitien. Americans should consider government-chartered flights only if they think they can reach the airport safely. 

‘We encourage U.S. citizens still in Haiti who seek to depart to contact the Department of State using the crisis intake form on our website if they have not already done so,’ the agency said.

Americans must also sign a promissory bill agreeing to reimburse the government. The State Department said there are government personnel in Miami who are helping evacuees with their next steps.

Last week the Department of Defense flew in more troops to help secure Haiti. 

Last week I wrote about author Mitch Albom’s harrowing story of evacuating himself, his wife, and volunteers, a group of ten all totaled, who were at an orphanage he founded fourteen years ago. He and his wife make monthly trips there. Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) was able to get them flown out. 

Many Americans who are trapped there are missionaries and social workers. Many of those evacuated Sunday were Haitian Americans. Most were visiting family and friends when Haiti spiraled out of control. All U.S. carriers announced the cancellation of flights on March 4.

Armed groups continued to target key government installations late Saturday. On Sunday they looted several homes in a well-to-do community in the capital, near the U.S. Embassy. 

Commercial flights into the Toussaint Louverture International Airport are still being canceled. The evacuation Sunday happened at Cap-Haitien’s Hugo Chavez International Airport which was closed to international flights until a few days ago. It is reported that thousands of Americans may be stranded in Haiti unable to get to Cap-Haitien.

The collapse of Haiti concerns regional neighbors as armed gangs attack critical infrastructure. Bahamas Prime Minister Phillip Davis said on Saturday that there is a tightened blockade around southeastern Bahama. He told Bahamians that “there has been a collapse of law and order in many areas of the country, and a serious humanitarian crisis is unfolding.”

‘Unfortunately, there are no simple or easy solutions for Haiti, and the country’s disorder and instability pose a security challenge for the entire region,” he said. ‘In The Bahamas, we must patrol thousands of square miles of water in order to protect our nation’s borders.”

Davis said the country is deploying “significant” Royal Bahamas Defense Force assets to establish a southern Bahamas blockade operation, comprising of surface vessels, aircraft, and 120 highly trained RBDF personnel. Operations will focus on the northern coast of Haiti, the Old Bahama Channel, and the Windward Passage.

“As we expand our patrols in our southern waters, the United States and the United Kingdom are also working to position assets in the region. We are working with the US Coast Guard, with Turks and Caicos, and with the Cuban Border Patrol, to share critical intelligence and align our efforts,” he said. “Through these collaborative efforts, we have successfully intercepted a number of vessels originating from Haiti. The repatriation of individuals aboard those vessels will be conducted in a manner that prioritizes the safety of our officers and respects the human rights and dignity of the passengers.”

He said that Bahamians are compassionate people but they cannot absorb additional burdens or security risks. 

On Wednesday, Florida Governor DeSantis announced he was sending additional personnel, including 130 soldiers, to the Keys. He also sent a dozen aircraft and boats to stop the possibility of invasion by Haitians. 

On Friday, Governor DeSantis announced that state law enforcement intercepted a boat coming to the Florida coast that was carrying dozens of Haitians. Firearms, drugs, and night vision gear were found onboard. 

“Our Florida Fish and Wildlife offices interdicted a vessel that had 25 illegal immigrants, potential illegal immigrants from Haiti in their boat. In their vessel they had firearms, they had drugs, they had night vision gear and were boating very recklessly, which would potentially endanger other folks,” DeSantis said, adding that the interdiction had occurred “recently” in the last few weeks.

“That vessel was interdicted near the Sebastian Inlet and those illegal aliens were turned over to the Coast Guard for deportation,” he said.

Governor DeSantis is doing the job that President Biden refuses to do. He is securing Florida’s coastline against the potential influx of Haitians by boat to the state. The Biden administration is leaving American citizens on their own to find a way out of Haiti. It is a pattern of the administration to leave Americans behind in dangerous places. It began with the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and continued when Hamas massacred Jews and Americans on October 7, 2023. Biden doesn’t care about securing the safety of American citizens at home or abroad. 

In the meantime, Rep. Cory Mills continues to evacuate American citizens from Haiti. 

It’s with great pride I announce that our team successfully conducted another rescue of 13 Americans out of PAP Haiti. Our team has now successfully rescued and evacuated more Americans than Biden and his entire administration.

Americans deserve support from their government.… pic.twitter.com/KZhLDZsdtR

— Cory Mills (@CoryMillsFL) March 18, 2024