‘Disappointed, extremely nervous, very shaken.' Boston immigration advocates react to Trump travel ban
'This is horrible and unjust, [an] unfair action that undermines the values of compassion, fairness, and love that this nation basically was built upon,' Fleurissaint said. Haitians 'have contributed so much to the American fabric … are very hard working people, and they bring their faith, families, resilience and value, so this decision really is morally wrong.'
The Haitian community is already grappling with the recent Supreme Court decision that allowed the federal government to revoke a humanitarian parole program for Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan migrants, known as CHNV. The Trump administration has also moved to end the Temporary Protected Status program for Haitian immigrants, which is set to expire in August. A lawsuit challenging the decision is currently pending in federal court.
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'Haiti is a nation in crisis at this point, facing political instability, violence, gangsterization, food insecurity, displacement,' Fleurissaint said. 'A travel ban targeting Haitians only adds to the suffering.'
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He said the news Wednesday night has sparked even more wide-ranging confusion, as evidenced by the number of texts he is receiving from Haitians, including permanent residents and naturalized citizens, who are worried about traveling out of the country right now. It's also set to affect students on visas, or Haitian-American residents with family still in Haiti, who need to travel back and forth between the two countries.
'You understand how critical it is right now? How mentally frightened Haitians are?' Fleurissaint said. 'You're talking close to what, almost half a million people, who are right now thinking their lives are in limbo.'
Fleurissaint added that he worries the travel ban will only reinforce a negative stereotype and narrative about Haiti and its citizens. He asked that Americans stand with immigrants to fight back against these actions by the federal government.
'This decision will definitely disrupt lives and as well, send a wrong message, a message basically of rejection and exclusion to anyone who's been living here and looks at America as a place of refuge and opportunity,' he said.
Other countries covered by the ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The seven countries facing increased restrictions are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
The ban and restriction, which Trump has said are necessary for national security, take effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
Massachusetts Senator Edward J. Markey criticized the ban in a statement on X.
'Make no mistake: Trump's latest travel ban will NOT make America safer. We cannot continue to allow the Trump administration to write bigotry and hatred into U.S. immigration policy,' Markey wrote.
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Make no mistake: Trump's latest travel ban will NOT make America safer. We cannot continue to allow the Trump administration to write bigotry and hatred into U.S. immigration policy.
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey)
Local immigration advocates also decried the move.
'Banning travel is rooted in discrimination, not national security or safety,' Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, said after reviewing
'American values are undermined when we arbitrarily decide who may enter the U.S. based on national origin or identity,' Espinoza-Madrigal said in an emailed statement.
'Instead of imposing bans, we should respond to crises in countries like Haiti through diplomatic engagements that center humanitarian protections,' Espinoza-Madrigal said. 'Efforts to block and exclude vulnerable populations raise serious equal protection and due process concerns.'
Immigration lawyer Kerry Doyle said Trump's travel ban 'doesn't come as a complete surprise.'
'We certainly anticipated this,' she said in a telephone interview Wednesday night.
'We'll take a look and see what we need to do to count counter it,' Doyle said. 'We're still trying to digest it to see what can be done.'
Doyle said she fully expects lawyers to challenge the ban with claims of 'over reach,' same 'as many of Trump's other executive orders.'
Correspondent Adam Sennott contributed to this report.
This story will updated as more information becomes available.
Tonya Alanez can be reached at
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