Stop Illegal Weapons Trafficking to Haiti

Advocacy Days Recap

On Thursday, Quixote Center took this message to Congress.

We all know that Haiti is facing a particularly challenging time. Extreme poverty and an unstable government is a lethal combination. Violence has reached alarming levels, leading to a pervasive fear that prevents Haitians from moving freely and going about their lives. Haitians have few good options left as they try to support their families, avoid kidnapping, and stay alive. 

According to the United Nations, nearly 600,000 Haitians have been displaced internally, many barely surviving in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions. Some find their way to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they risk deportation.

Weapons illegally trafficked from the United States fuel the violence. Ending the flow of weapons and ammunition will improve security, enable democratic elections to take place, and make it possible for people to remain in their homes and communities without fear.

Quixote Center, together with 40 organizational partners, took this message to Congress on Thursday. We scheduled and hosted 25 meetings with Senate offices, with nearly 200 people participating from across the country, both virtually and in-person. We told them that Haitians deserve better than to be victims of U.S. gun dealers who sell weapons to criminals.

We met with many Senate offices who agree and who will be our allies in passing legislation to stop the flow. We met with others who asked for more information and promised to review our materials. Some Senate staff told us they have been hearing from you, through the letters you have been sending, and that as a result of your advocacy they are focused on this issue.

In short, there is hope. There is power in bringing together the Haiti solidarity community and the Haitian-American community. The Senate saw that on Thursday, and they will see it again and again until the flow of weapons ends, guns are destroyed, the ammunition is gone, and Haiti can begin to rebuild.

Thank you to each of you for supporting this work, with your letters, your phone calls, your in-person meetings, and your donations. We are now sorting through all of the meeting reports for the day, assessing our progress, and weighing plans for follow up.

Join our Solidarity Travel to Southern Mexico

You can still join the Quixote Center and the Franciscan Network on Migration on our biannual Solidarity Travel from November 10th to 16th, 2024 as we examine first-hand the impact of U.S. policy on Mexico's southern border, and to meet with immigration rights advocates providing shelter and other services to migrants. Click on the Learn More button below for more information on how you can participate. There are only a few spots available and we will no longer accept applications after October 4th.

Learn more Click Here

To apply Click Here

Read reflections from previous trip participants

People Walk to America

Mexico is a Cemetery for Migrants

An Immigration Advocate on the Meaning of Solidarity

An Advocate's Reflection on the Quixote Center's Solidarity Trip

A Teacher's Reflections on the Quixote Center's Solidarity Trip

More information here

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