US moves to deport residents with alleged ties to Haitian gang

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that the Trump administration would work to strip the legal status of an unspecified number of legal permanent residents living in the US who are alleged to have ties to a notorious Haitian gang.

"The Department of State has determined that certain individuals with U.S. lawful permanent resident status have supported and collaborated with Haitian gang leaders connected to Viv Ansanm, a Haitian Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)," Rubio said in a statement.

"Viv Ansanm is a driver of the violence and criminality in Haiti contributing to the island’s instability. The United States will not allow individuals to enjoy the benefits of legal status in our country while they are facilitating the actions of violent organizations or supporting criminal terrorist organizations," he added.

Following Rubio's determination, the Department of Homeland Security can begin removal proceedings for identified individuals.

The State Department designated Viv Ansanm as a foreign terrorist organization in May. The UN separately listed the group as a sanctioned entity July 8.​​​​​​​