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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 146 / Tuesday, August 3, 2021 / Notices
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in Haiti that prevent nationals from returning safely, specifically, a political crisis accompanied by human rights abuses; serious security concerns; and the Coronavirus 2019 COVID19
pandemics exacerbation of a dire economic situation and lack of access to food, water, and healthcare. Previously, DHS took action to provide temporary relief to F1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Haiti and who experienced severe economic hardship because of the January 12, 2010 earthquake. See 75 FR 56120 Sept.
15, 2010. That action along with subsequent extension notices,2 enabled these F1 nonimmigrant students to obtain employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while the academic institution was in session, and reduce their course loads, while continuing to maintain F1
nonimmigrant student status. DHS has reviewed conditions in Haiti and determined that making employment authorization available for eligible nonimmigrant students is again warranted due to the current crisis in Haiti.
Haiti faces significant human rights issues stemming from presidential use of executive decrees for a range of actions to include creating an intelligence agency accountable only to the president,3 in addition to serious security concerns resulting from gang violence that is allegedly supported and protected by the state.4 The Human Rights Service of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported a 333% increase in the number of human rights violations and 2 See Extension of Employment Authorization for Haitian F1 Nonimmigrant Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship as a Direct Result of the January 12, 2010 Earthquake in Haiti, 76 FR 28997
May 19, 2011; Extension of Employment Authorization for Haitian F1 Nonimmigrant Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship as a Direct Result of the January 12, 2010
Earthquake in Haiti, 77 FR 59942 Oct. 1, 2012;
Extension of Employment Authorization for Haitian F1 Nonimmigrant Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship as a Direct Result of the January 12, 2010 Earthquake in Haiti, 79 FR 11805 Mar. 3, 2014; Extension of Employment Authorization for Haitian F1 Nonimmigrant Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship as a Direct Result of the January 12, 2010 Earthquake in Haiti, 80 FR 51579
Aug. 25, 2015.
3 Andre Paultre and Sarah Marsh The battle for democracy goes on in Haiti as Mose gains power, The Christian Science Monitor, March 30, 2021, available at https www.csmonitor.com/World/
Americas/2021/0330/The-battle-for-democracygoes-on-in-Haiti-as-Moise-gains-power last visited May 2021.
4 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Haiti, United States Department of State, March 30, 2021, available at https www.state.gov/
reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rightspractices/haiti/ last visited May 2021.

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abuses by law enforcement officials and non-state actors, respectively, against the rights to life and security of person during the protests that took place between July 6, 2018 and December 10, 2019.5 On March 24, 2021, the U.N.
Security Council expressed concern with reported violations and abuses of international human rights, including some involving the alleged use of deadly force against protesters and reported arbitrary arrest and detentions, and called on the Inspector General of the Haitian National Police to conduct a thorough investigation of the reported incidences.6 Security conditions in Port-au-Prince have deteriorated due to an increase in kidnappings and political protests.7
Furthermore, gang-related violent crimes have expanded outside of Portau-Prince with increased crime occurring on major routes of travel.8 On April 21, 2021, the Department of State issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory for Haiti because of widespread kidnappings and violent crimes.9 On June 10, 2021, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA reported an upsurge in deadly clashes between gangs in Portau-Prince and an overall increase to some 10,000 residents who have been displaced due to this and similar incidents in the past 12 months.10
Further, beginning on June 24, 2021, multiple news organizations reported that one of Haitis most powerful gang leaders, a former police officer, warned of launching a revolution against the 5 Unrest in Haiti: Their Impact on Human Rights and the States Obligation to Protect all Citizens, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights/United National Integrated Office in Haiti, Jan. 18, 2021, available at https
binuh.unmissions.org/en/unrest-haiti-their-impacthuman-rights-and-state%E2%80%99s-obligationprotect-all-citizens-0 last visited May 2021.
6 Security Council Presidential Statement Expresses Deep Concern over Multiple Crises in Haiti, Stressing Governments Primary Duty to Tackle Instability, United Nations Security Council Press Release, March 24, 2021, available at https
www.un.org/press/en/2021/sc14474.doc.htm last visited May 2021.
7 HaitiComplex Emergency Fact Sheet 1, Fiscal Year 2021, U.S. Agency for International Development USAID, Jan. 19, 2021, available at https reliefweb.int/report/haiti/haiti-complexemergency-fact-sheet-1-fiscal-year-fy-2021 last visited May 2021.
8 Haiti 2020 Crime and Safety Report, Overseas Security Advisory Council OSAC, U.S.
Department of State, available at https
www.osac.gov/Content/Report/09752c66-7cac-47f7a92e-188fe7af0f75 last visited May 2021.
9 Haiti Travel Advisory, U.S. Department of State, Apr. 21, 2021, available at https travel.state.gov/
content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/
haiti-travel-advisory.html last visited May 2021.
10 Daily Noon Briefing Highlights, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 10 June 2021, available at https www.unocha.org/
story/daily-noon-briefing-highlights-ethiopia-haiti.

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countrys business and political elites, signaling a likely further escalation of violence in Haiti.11 On July 7, 2021, a group of assailants attacked President Moises residence and killed him. No one has claimed responsibility for the assassination.
Haiti has few resources to tackle its political instability and frequent natural disasters.12 According to the World Bank, it is the poorest country in the Latin America and Caribbean region and among the poorest countries in the world ranking 170 out of 189 countries on the 2020 Human Development Index.13 Haitians rely heavily on remittances sent from abroad,14 with remittances constituting approximately 23% of Haitis Gross Domestic Product GDP in 2019.15 Haiti experienced a negative growth rate of approximately 1.7% in 2019 followed by an estimated 3.8% contraction in 2020, as COVID19
exacerbated its already weak economy and political instability.16 The World Bank reports an inflation rate at nearly 23% for 2020.17 Public frustration with Haitis economy has contributed to ongoing demonstrations.18
According to USAID the country still suffers from the lingering impact of the 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 that exacerbated its existing inadequate healthcare infrastructure as well as access to electricity, clean water, and sanitation 11 See e.g., Haiti Gang Leader Launches Revolution as Violence Escalates, U.S. News and World Report, June 24, 2021 and Haiti gang leader threatens revolution , The New York Carib News, June 26, 2021.
12 Taft-Morales, Maureen, Haitis Political and Economic Conditions, Congressional Research Service CRS, p.5, Mar. 5, 2020, available at https crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/
R45034 last visited May 2021.
13 Haiti Overview, The World Bank, last updated Apr 26, 2021, available at https
www.worldbank.org/en/country/haiti/overview last visited May 2021.
14 Taft-Morales, Maureen, Haitis Political and Economic Conditions, Congressional Research Service CRS, p.5, Mar. 5, 2020, available at https fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R45034.pdf last visited May 2021.
15 Personal Remittances, ReceivedHaiti, The World Bank, available at https
data.worldbank.org/indicator/
BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS?end=2019&
locations=HT&start=1971&view=chart last visited May 2021.
16 Haiti Overview, The World Bank, last updated Apr 26, 2021, available at https
www.worldbank.org/en/country/haiti/overview last visited May 2021.
17 Inflation, Consumer Prices Annual %Haiti, The World Bank, available at https
data.worldbank.org/indicator/
FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG?locations=HT last visited May 2021.
18 Taft-Morales, Maureen, Haitis Political and Economic Conditions, Congressional Research Service CRS, p.5, Mar. 5, 2020, available at https fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R45034.pdf last visited May 2021.

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