Commentary
There’s a much more productive way to secure the border.
Christopher Shell
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Event
The Future of U.S.-Haiti Relations
Thu, July 17th, 2025
Live Online
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Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Haiti has been engulfed in crisis, with well-armed criminal gangs and Haitian Security Forces battling for control of the capital Port-Au-Prince. President Trump recently classified some Haitian criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, paving the way for lethal military action to restore stability. The administration has also announced plans to end deportation protection for roughly 500,000 Haitians residing in the United States, putting them at risk of violence if they return to Haiti.
These developments raise urgent questions: What are U.S. interests in Haiti and how might these interests translate into concrete policy objectives? How do these interests interact with the aspirations of the Haitian people and to what extent are they in conflict or compatible? And are measures like terrorist designations and support for mercenaries viable, or wise, strategies for restoring order?
What the U.S. Should Do Instead of Ending Deportation Protection for Haitians
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Event Speakers
Kiki Hunegs
Policy Analyst, RAND
Kiki Hunegs is a RAND policy analyst, specializing in international and U.S. national security, conflict analysis, gender analysis, and national defense.
Zuri Linetsky
Principal, Dandelion Works
Zuri Linetsky has worked in Haiti since 2018, authoring several reports on the economic, political, and security situation on the ground. He is the founding executive director of One Whitehorn Consulting, and the principal for research and analytics at Dandelion Works.
Louis-Henri Mars
Executive Director, Lakou Lapè
Louis-Henri Mars is the executive director of Lakou Lapè a Port-au-Prince-based peacebuilding organization that he helped found in 2013. Before that, he worked in the private sector, as a business owner and manager of assembly and manufacturing plants.
Wolf Pamphile
Founder and Executive Director, Haiti Policy House
Wolf Pamphile is the founder and executive director of Haiti Policy House, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank advancing research and policy solutions focused on Haiti’s foreign relations, security, and economic development.
Christopher Shell
Fellow, American Statecraft Program
Christopher Shell is a fellow in the American Statecraft Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.