In Del Rio, Texas, there was a makeshift encampment of 22 porta-potties and no running water.

Let Me Set the Framing: Many of us call Afghanistan the perpetual 20-year war, where US taxpayers spent $2.26 trillion, and no, that doesn’t count interest and the thousands of lives lost. But, we still ask, for what? And now, we are preparing for 37,000 Afghans who will be settling in states across the US. President Biden appointed former Delaware Governor Jack Markell on the Friday before Labor Day to oversee their settlement. By the way, California and Texas are accepting the largest group of Afghanis. But then, on Monday, the President expanded the number of refugees to 125,000 when the government was deporting the Haitian evacuees looking for refuge.

The Administration is refusing these evacuees. Even though an earthquake ravaged the small island in August, there has been government upheaval since the assassination of its president.

Put simply: Mr. Biden's treatment of Haitian evacuees is deplorable.

Why does it Matter?

During the 2020 election cycle, the Biden-Harris ticket portrayed a more compassionate approach to immigration compared to the "shit-hole" country approach from the Trump Administration. But, given the backdrop of the news this weekend and the treatment of Haiti since Jovenel Moise's assassination.

The treatment of these Haitian evacuees is another example of America's complicity in the Haitian problem.

It has been 217 years post the Haitian revolution, and the US government continues to either turn a blind eye or, more bluntly, aid and abet the abject poverty of the Haitian economy.

Ironically, the Biden Administration is also in a foreign policy tussle with the French government, recalled their US Ambassador because of the Administration's submarine deal with the Australian and the UK governments in the Asia-Pacific region. Why is this important? Well, because Haiti's perpetual economic debt is due in part to the reparations paid to its colonizer, France. So, President Biden does not have any political capital to ask France to contribute to these evacuees' livelihoods.

Why Am I So Critical? In this instance, we know that Haitians represent a small number of border crossings, but many Haitians also appear to be Black, so let me call a spade a spade. The Democratic President seems to be struggling to tackle immigration, particularly from countries where the people are Black. In my view, this issue is indicative of the Democratic Party's inability to grapple with the issue of race authentically. Quite frankly, President Obama failed immigrants at the border because his Administration and Democrats in Congress could not pass a broad, comprehensive immigration package.

Let me tell the truth and shame the devil; where is the outrage from the national Latino civil rights groups of the treatment of the Haitians in Del Rio. I have not received one action alert or seen one single tweet from any of these groups since the Biden Administration made this declaration, but there are 22 porta-potties and no running water.

Reality check: The issue of immigration is not only about "Mexicans" or those fleeing Latin America. Immigration is a much more nuanced issue. When immigrants come from parts of Europe (we love the Europeans - remember Trump’s Norway comment?), Asia, or Africa, we often affix a range of stereotypes that allay our comfortability to their status in this country. For example, we assign labels of intelligence and students entering university in STEM programs, ideology (i.e., Christianity or not ), or business ownership to our ability to accept their immigration status. There is also the perspective of those who have escaped dictatorial leaders, and we believe they work hard. These stereotypes conceptually are acceptable.

Isn’t this Perpetuating the Self versus Other?

We have this habit of creating walls of fear by othering immigrants in this country. If they are Syrian, Somalian, Chinese, Mexican, and now Haitian. We refuse to acknowledge their humanness. We accept those we want. We make room for those it makes sense for the government to make room for (i.e., the 37,000 Afghanis). But, we other those who we want to ostracize, oppress, and leave outside. I find it hypocritical.

So again, why does this matter? I’m outraged because deportation began on Sunday. We all should be.

These are Black people who are not coming here because they want to, but they are coming here because they seek refuge.

I am not making excuses here, but want to make it plain. Haiti's economy has been in paralysis for the last 200-plus years partly because of the courage of its people, who dared to stand against the brutality of French colonizers and later Western influences. Critics may want to zoom in on the country’s own government malfeasance. But I think that view is half-baked.

The US government should not continue to aid and abet their despair by deporting these evacuees who, by the way, even paid reparations to the French (a debt not paid in full until 1947) for their enslavement - let that sit with you for a moment.

At least we knew Trump’s position once he rode down the escalator. It was all downhill. Mr. Biden, on the other hand, with all of his campaign rhetoric, is showing no courage. When will he have the courage to be?

I’m out,

M