The Trump administration’s line of attack against Haitian migrants in the United States and against Haiti is economic. The clear reference to remittances from the Haitian diaspora by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) illustrates a desire to asphyxiate the Haitian economy.

“U.S. dollars should not be used to subsidize foreign economies. Four years of open borders under the Biden administration allowed 6% of all Haitians to enter our country illegally. Many of these Haitians sent remittances back to their home country—representing 20% of Haiti’s entire economy and removing $6.1 billion from America,” reads a post on the X account of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which adds: “We will continue to fight to end this. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, our top priority is to place the safety and prosperity of the American people first.”