Human Rights Watch has released a report highlighting the challenges faced by hundreds of individuals deported from the United States to Haiti, where rising gang violence, hunger, and poverty have created an increasingly difficult environment for returnees. The report provides a rare glimpse into the lives of deportees, many of whom have not spoken publicly due to fears for their safety. Since July, the U.S. has deported more than 470 people to Haiti, including individuals who had been living legally in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program that allows people from countries facing crises to stay temporarily in the U.S. without fear of deportation. The main international airport in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is considered too dangerous for deportation flights due to ongoing gang violence. As a result, deportees are now arriving in the northern city of Cap-Haitien, where the population has nearly tripled in the past two years to over 1 million. This sudden influx has put immense pressure on the city’s already limited resources. According to Haitian migration officials, the U.S. government has informed them of plans to send up to two deportation flights per week, each carrying around 200 people. Human Rights Watch interviewed 44 deportees and officials, revealing that many endured long periods without food, water, or proper hygiene while detained in U.S. immigration facilities. Upon arrival in Haiti, deportees were not given back their personal belongings, including documents and money, and were left to navigate the situation on their own. Most of the deportees interviewed had fled Haiti’s worsening security and humanitarian crisis and had settled in U.S. states such as Florida, New York, Indiana, and Ohio. Many had worked in construction, healthcare, and manufacturing and had lived in the U.S. for two to 14 years. Among them was a 38-year-old man who had lived in Florida since 2019 and worked at a hotel for over six years. His wife and 5-year-old son, who is a U.S. citizen, remain in Florida. He said he worked to ensure his son could grow up without the fear and uncertainty he had experienced in Haiti. Others, like a 47-year-old woman, were detained when trying to apply for permanent residency in the U.S., with many reporting that they were not allowed to contact their lawyers or appear before an immigration judge. The report highlights the extreme humanitarian crisis in Haiti, where at least 19,380 people were reported killed between January 2023 and June 2026, according to the United Nations. Hunger and poverty are worsening as gangs continue to destabilize the country. A recent report by the Haitian government and agencies like UNICEF predicts that over 253,000 children under five years old will suffer from acute malnutrition in the coming months. Human Rights Watch criticized the U.S. for returning individuals—some with pending asylum claims—to a country lacking the capacity to protect them from violence or provide basic necessities. The organization urged the U.S. government to immediately halt these deportations. Deportees arriving in Haiti are given minimal assistance, including a simple meal, a drink, and about $77 in cash, after which they are left to fend for themselves with little guidance or support.