Latest news with #SheilaCherfilusMcCormick
CBS News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
South Floridians line up outside ICE facility where Haitian woman died to protest Alligator Alcatraz, Trump's immigration policies
For the second day in a row, protestors took to the streets of South Florida to speak out against the Trump administration's immigration policies. This comes after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received additional funding from the president's "big, beautiful bill" and after a new ICE detention center opened in the Florida Everglades this week. Questions left unanswered in detained Haitian woman's death Protestors lined up outside the Broward Transitional Center on Saturday, which is where 44-year-old Marie Ange Blaise died while in ICE custody on April 25. Immigration officials said she had entered the U.S. without permission. The cause of her death is under investigation. "We wanna make sure those things don't happen again to our children [and] to other immigrants," said organizer Widline Pierre. "We wanna make sure those things are preventable." Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus McCormick attended the protest, saying she wants a hearing to find out why Blaise died. ICE's website said seven people have died in its custody so far this year. "We also need to take a good look at what's going on within the facilities," the congresswoman said. "Right after she died we came to this facility and we looked at it. And we tried to speak to some of the medical personnel and they were very evasive. And they said that they would be providing us with information that we still have not received." Pierre said she feels immigrants are being treated unfairly. "What they're doing is not about enforcing the rules; it's about belittling the immigration communities," Pierre said. "We're being bullied." Alligator Alcatraz controversy continues The protesters here were also speaking out against the new ICE detention facility down in the Everglades: Alligator Alcatraz. It was put together in about eight days, and the first group of migrants was sent to the facility this week. Elena Munoz told CBS News Miami that the facility is inhumane since it's surrounded by alligators and pythons. "It's the worst thing for many, many things," she said. "First, it should not be in that land. First of all. Second, it's not in a safe place." On top of that, ICE got a big funding boost on Friday when President Trump signed his "big, beautiful bill" into law, which added $75 million for new ICE agents and for building more detention facilities.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Designating Haiti's gangs as terrorists risks humanitarian aid
The Trump administration's decision to designate Haiti's most powerful armed gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists may project strength. Still, it risks triggering a catastrophic humanitarian collapse just as the need for aid intensifies and international support is stretched thin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designations last week, targeting the Viv Ansanm coalition, which controls up to 90% of Port-au-Prince, and its ally, the Gran Grif gang in the Artibonite region. These gangs have undeniably unleashed terror: more than 1,600 Haitians were killed in the first three months of 2025, and over five million face acute hunger. But branding them as terrorists is a blunt instrument where a scalpel is needed. The implications go far beyond symbolism. Under U.S. law, providing 'material support' to designated groups becomes a federal crime, a broad definition that can include food, fuel or medical supplies. This could criminalize humanitarian workers who must negotiate access with gangs or pay tolls to deliver aid. Already operating under dangerous conditions, many aid groups may now pull out entirely — tightening the gangs' grip on neighborhoods and deepening the suffering of those trapped inside them. Broward U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, co-chair of the Haiti Caucus, warns the move could push Haiti further into isolation. Disrupting remittances and aid — economic lifelines for millions — would devastate a country already teetering on the edge. Haitian families rely on those funds for food, education, and survival. The gangs' dominance is not just a law enforcement issue; it's a symptom of institutional collapse. The Trump administration may view the designation as a show of resolve, but it lacks a strategic endgame, or even a path to prosecuting gang leaders. Without U.S. troops on the ground or a viable Kenyan-led force, what's the plan to dismantle these armed groups? There's also a critical deadline looming. In June, the contractor managing the U.S.-constructed base for nearly 1,000 Kenyan-led multinational troops needs assurance that the administration will continue the $200 million in funding. Without a firm commitment before the contract expires in September, the limited mission could withdraw this summer, leaving a dangerous power vacuum. In that case, gangs will operate unchecked, and more than a million displaced Haitians will be left to fend for themselves amid spiraling chaos. Experts warn the designation could also complicate future peace-building and gang demobilization efforts. It might even be used as justification for deporting Haitians from the U.S., including those tenuously linked to violence. State Rep. Dotie Joseph, a Haitian American leader, cautions that the terrorist label could be weaponized against Haitian immigrants, just as similar labels have been used against others, including Venezuelans targeted over tattoos or clothing. 'In practice, I am concerned that the administration may use such a designation as an additional tool to mistreat Haitian immigrants in the U.S.,' Joseph told the Editorial Board. The administration's next steps must include clear safeguards, guidance for aid groups and donors, and a strategy focused on weakening gang finances, not humanitarian access. The goal must be to choke off gang resources, not the flow of food and medicine. Labeling gangs as terrorists may play well politically, but the real cost could be paid in lives lost to hunger, disease and violence. Haiti doesn't need more punitive gestures. It needs protection, support and a coordinated international response. If the Trump administration won't back the U.N.-authorized Kenyan-led force, there must be a credible Plan B. Port-au-Prince is on the brink of state collapse. Declaring gangs as terrorists may feel decisive, but it won't stop the violence, and it could sever the last remaining lifelines for millions. This is a moment for nuanced diplomacy, not slogans. Haiti needs sustained, strategic engagement and a plan to dismantle the criminal networks Rubio himself says pose a threat to U.S. and regional interests. Haiti deserves better than an empty gesture dressed up as strategy. Click here to send the letter.
