With the Haitian migrant crisis still going on at the Texas border and the Biden Administration adding new rules to limit the number of arrests and deportations, there are signs of progress.
Despite migrants having been cleared from border camps, with some getting deported by the Mexican Government and others sent to various states, many in the U.S. are not shocked by the situation.
‘‘This whole thing doesn’t surprise me,” said Dr. Jay Nielsen, founder of Missions International of America. “When the president says to open the borders and everyone should, that sends a message for everyone to come in…If you have been to the Santa Porta Bridge which has bad housing, dirty water, etc. The Haitians weren’t surprised, it’s just the Americans were surprised.’’
When it comes to the ongoing migrant crisis, mistakes are bound to be made.
‘‘I don’t think we should have open borders,” said Dr. Nielsen. “I think it is a mistake to have no vaccination, it’s crazy. I’m not worried about COVID, it’s psoriasis. I think it is a mistake for the president to say come on in. I think it is messed up to let everyone else in but not the Haitians.”
The mistreatment of Haitian migrants is nothing new.
“You have to remember Haiti was the first black republic under Napoleon,” said Dr. Nielsen. “They were the largest export in sugars and other goods which Europe benefited from. The Haitians caused Napoleon to lose a lot of military power. You would think they would get credit for that, but they don’t.’’
Many faith organizations have denounced the treatment of Haitian migrants and have accused the federal government of targeting them.
‘‘The United States has been targeting Haiti for 100 years, people have got to read their history,’’ said Dr. Nielsen
With his experience of humanitarian work in Haiti, Dr. Nielsen is not surprised by the wave of Haitians trying to enter the U.S.
‘‘I think anyone who has a chance to come to America would be stupid not to take it,’’ said Dr. Nielsen. ‘’My problem is I think people should come here legally. I think people should be coming on the basis of their merit because they’re getting good grades or because they’re studying in fields that we need.’
From a medical standpoint, it measures should have been taken when they first encountered the migrants.
‘‘They should be doing a TB skin test, and a COVID test, then a decent physical, and then observing people practically for a quarantine period of 10 days to make sure they don’t get out with COVID,’’ said Dr. Nielsen. ‘‘I hope the whole time they’re doing that, they should be feeding those people and hydrating them, but unfortunately, our border facilities aren’t capable of processing 200,000 people a month.”
For future scenarios the government should consider regarding Texas, there is a plan for that.
‘‘Build a wall. It’s basically what Obama said yesterday. Obama said it’s unsustainable; he basically said ‘We can’t do this. That is, there’s no solution except stop illegal immigration and make them come through legally.’’’ said Dr. Nielsen. ‘‘The other opportunity they would really have would be to build massive hospitals surrounded by razor wire, that would basically be a combination of a prison and a hospital and do that 14-day thing for everybody no matter how many people come through…The solution is to build a system where it doesn’t allow a lot of people to come in.’’
With his experience in Haiti, Dr. Nielsen expects more migrants to show up at America’s border.
‘’All you have to do is look at the map, it’s geometrically increasing. We had 20,000, now 40,000 in Mexico and 60,000 in Panama. There’s about 40,000 mobilizing in Brazil. It’s a geometric progression by definition, they just keep coming across the border,’’ said Dr. Nielsen. ‘‘The definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome; this is insanity.’’
Jamario Brown-Tolliver
Intern