Mayor Adams and the Rev. Al Sharpton joined forces Wednesday to demand action from President Biden’s administration to help crack down on gang violence engulfing Haiti — but they stopped short of calling for U.S. troops to be deployed to the embattled Caribbean island.
In a press conference with local faith leaders at City Hall, Sharpton and Adams said the federal government must immediately stem the flow of guns suspected of being trafficked from Florida to Haiti, where it ends up in the hands of gangs that toppled the country’s government in a bloody revolt earlier this month.
They also said the feds must immediately cease any deportations of Haitians from the U.S. and provide resources to help quell chaos on the island.
“There are immediate things we can do right now: Stop the flow of guns, stop the deportations, give the expertise on how to stabilize the community, and give the resources that are needed at this time,” the mayor said after noting New York City has by far the largest Haitian diaspora in the U.S.
When asked by the Daily News if there should be U.S. boots on the ground in Haiti, Sharpton demurred.
“We want to start by investigating the gun trafficking, and secondly the resources that are available, like Kenya. I don’t think we’ve gone further than that. If they can start there, we can see what else is necessary,” Sharpton said, referencing a plan by the African nation to deploy about 1,000 specialized police officers to Haiti to help restore order.
When asked if he wanted to add anything to Sharpton’s comments about a U.S. troop deployment, Adams shook his head.
The U.S. State Department announced $25 million in humanitarian relief last week for food assistance, relocation support and emergency health care.
The unrest on Haiti started after Ariel Henry, the country’s acting prime minister, resigned March 12 following weeks of mounting pressure over gang violence on the island. Henry’s exit has left a leadership vacuum for Jimmy Chérizier, an infamous gang leader known by his “Barbecue” nom-de-guerre, to seize control of large parts of the island, including the capital Port-au-Prince.
A coalition of gangs affiliated with Barbecue have rampaged through the island in recent weeks, killing scores of civilians, setting fires to police stations and releasing inmates from local prisons.
At City Hall, Sharpton said he has spoken to White House officials about his push for federal action and that he’s going to visit Washington, D.C. Thursday.
“I expect to speak to senior White House officials,” he said, “but they know of this press conference and they know the question of gun trafficking.”
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.
