The Trump administration has told Congress it intends to designate Haitian gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, sources told The Associated Press.
A notice sent to the Congressional Committee on April 23 states that the administration will designate Haitian gangsters Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as foreign terrorist organizations, Thr Ap reportedly cites two people who are familiar with the message they spoke on condition of anonymity. A third source told the Associated Press that the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees have received the notice.
In February, the Department of Homeland Security cancelled an extension of its Temporary Protection Status (TPS) to protect approximately 500,000 Haitians from deportation.
Last month, the State Department officially designated eight Latin American organized crime groups as foreign terrorist organizations. They are the Malasal Battle Cha, also known as the Venezuelan Trende Aragua (TDA), El Salvador’s MS-13, and the Sinaloa Cartel of the Sinaloa Cartel, a new generation of Jalisco, the “Zeta Killers,” the Gulf Cartel, the Northeast Cartel cartel, and the Launueva Familia Michoya Vaivai Vivii Vivivii Vivivivii Vivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivi
Popular cruise pauses island stops through escalating gang violence: what to know
President Donald Trump will speak in his first 100 days at the Macomb County Community College Sports Expo Center in Warren, Michigan on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The administration further classified the TDA as an invasion force under the alien enemy of the 18th century.
Tens of thousands of Haitians came to the United States and came to the United States on a Biden-era program. People from four countries, including Haiti, have financial sponsors and have allowed them to stay for two years if they purchase tickets for their own planes. The Trump administration is trying to end the program and revoke the status of those recognized under the Biden administration.
The migration from Haiti was under scrutiny in 2024 as Trump’s campaign attracted attention on the massive numbers of Haitian migration under the parole process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV) when 30,000 immigrants were allowed each month. At that point, if you were eligible, you could not remove them after your parole expired due to TPS. It has influenced many towns, including Springfield, Ohio and Charleroy, Pennsylvania.
At a Michigan rally on Tuesday, celebrating his 100th day inauguration, Trump defended eight designations last month, vowing that his White House will continue to deport.
“We also designated TDA’s two bloodthirsty multinational gangs and Tren de Agua. They are designated as the highest level terrorists and can do a lot of things you can’t,” Trump said. “We have to get them out of here before they kill more people. They killed enough. My administration has increased the arrests of known terrorists by 655%. Is that okay? We tried to make it higher.”
Patrol of Haitian Army Soldiers in Protest against Unrest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
“The Democrats have vowed to mass invasions and mass immigration. We have made massive deportations, which are happening very quickly. And the worst is being sent to nonsense prisons in El Salvador,” Trump said. “Under President Trump, America is no longer a dump for criminals. They are not even trying to come. But while they fight to protect Americans, Democrats that are very bad for this country are fighting to protect the TDA.”
The United Nations sounds wary of Haiti’s risk of collapse
Viv Ansanm, meaning “live together,” is a powerful gang coalition formed in September 2023 and is best known for launching a series of attacks in February 2024 that crossed Port-au-Prince and shut down its closed major Haiti international airport for three months.
The Union united with more than a dozen gangs, including two of Haiti’s biggest gangs. The G-9 and G-Pèp were fierce rivals.
The gang controls at least 85% of Haiti’s capital, and in recent weeks, Viv Ansanm has attacked once peaceful communities.
Gran Grif, also known as Savien Gang, formed part of the Viv Ansanm Coalition and is led by Luckson Elan, best known as “General Luckson.” This is the largest gang active in Haiti’s Central Artibonite region, with around 100 members.
In October 2024, he was condemned for attacks in the town of Ponzanda, killing more than 70 people in one of the largest massacres in Haiti’s recent history.
Police officers will patrol the intersection in the Petionville district of Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Thursday, April 24, 2025 (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Grand Griff has also been blamed for recent attacks in the petite Riviere community where several people, including an 11-year-old, have been killed.
According to a report by UN, Grand Griff was formed after being a former member of Haitian parliament, a former member of Haitian parliament representing the small Riviere community of Artibonite. Victor was arrested in January.
Canada approved him in June 2023 and accused him of supporting gangs who “harmed serious human rights abuse” as the US did in September 2024.
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According to the United Nations, gang violence killed more than 5,600 people in Haiti last year, leaving more than 1 million homeless people in a country of nearly 12 million.
Adam Shaw and the Associated Press of Fox News contributed to this report.
Daniel Wallace is a news and political reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and to X:@danimwallace.
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