By Nelson A. King
Brooklyn Democratic Council
Member, Dr. Mathieu Eugene
on Monday dispatched a letter to
President Joe Biden, appealing
to him to stop the deportation
of Haitian migrants and to end
what he described as “the cruel
treatment of Haitians.”
“I remain deeply troubled by
the treatment of Haitian immigrants
arriving at the Texas border
as they travel north through
South America and are subsequently
being deported back to
Haiti,” said Dr. Eugene, the first
Haitian to be elected to the City
Council, in his letter to Biden.
“Since 2010, Haiti has been
subjected to several natural disasters,
including tropical storms,
two catastrophic earthquakes
that caused significant devastation,
and continued political
unrest and socioeconomic
instability,” added Dr. Eugene,
chair of the Council Committee
on Civil and Human Rights,
who represents the predominantly
40th Council District in
Brooklyn. “With each successive
crisis, the rebuilding and recovery
process is put into disarray,
and the availability of critical
resources for the country
becomes even more limited.
“As I have stated on many
occasions, Haiti is not prepared
to handle an influx of deportees,”
Caribbean L 6 ife, OCTOBER 1-7, 2021
continued Eugene in his
letter, a copy of which was made
available to Caribbean Life. “The
country is hurting, and the Haitian
people are struggling every
day to cope with a substantial
amount of personal loss, including
emotional and physical trauma,
and financial uncertainty.
“Sending Haitian immigrants
back to Haiti will only
worsen the ongoing situation
and will also increase the burden
on their family members
living in the United States,
many of whom have established
careers here,” he said. “They
are doctors, nurses, cab drivers,
medical professionals, business
owners, teachers and entrepreneurs.
Their work has supported
our national economy for generations,
and they have served a
critical role during the COVID-
19 pandemic, when the labor of
our essential workers helped get
our city, our state and our country
through the darkest days of
this public health crisis.”
The legislator said the Haitian
refugees, who are traveling
through Mexico into Texas, are
“enduring extremely unsafe living
conditions and are putting
their lives at risk.
“They are human beings,
and they have embarked on a
very dangerous and treacherous
journey to reach what they hope
is a safe and stable environment,”
he said. “I am urging you
to stop their deportation, to help
them, and to give Haitian immigrants
the due process that they
are entitled to.
“It is an important humanitarian
gesture to accept Haitian
immigrants in the United
States, because it aligns with
the principles and philosophy
that this country was founded
on,” Dr. Eugene said. “We are
known around the world as a
beacon of freedom, liberty and
CM Mathieu Eugene at Red Room Podium, Offi ce of Council
Member Mathieu Eugene. City Council Press Offi ce
opportunity for all who seek it,
and it is heartbreaking to witness
the violent treatment of
Haitian refugees at the border,
knowing that this type of attack
on human dignity should no
longer occur in modern day
America.
“I am confident that your
administration will do what
is right for these immigrants,
because this situation is sending
the wrong message to the global
community about the values
that the United States upholds,”
he told Biden.
Eugene appeals to Biden to
stop deportations to Haiti