A Roadmap for Restoring Order in Haiti · The Floridian

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President Trump’s historic reelection was driven by issues important to voters—inflation, crime, border security, energy policy, the overreach of woke culture, and concerns about a destabilizing world order. Yet in the post-election analysis, the latter has received little attention: chaos on the world stage. From the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal to wars in Israel and Ukraine, voters witnessed a world on fire, threatening America’s security, interests, and allies. The Trump Administration now has an opportunity to deliver the strong, decisive American leadership needed more than ever.

This instability extends beyond Europe and the Middle East. Just 700 miles from Florida, Haiti is spiraling into chaos. A stable Haiti can serve as a cornerstone of America First foreign policy—protecting our borders, addressing the drivers of narcotics and asylum seekers, and advancing U.S. interests abroad.

Amusingly, Biden Administration bureaucrats are already spinning revisionist history, attempting to frame their failures in Haiti as successes. In a recent Miami Herald op-ed, “The Biden-Harris Legacy in the Western Hemisphere, Backyard to Florida,” they promote their foreign policy mantra: “partnership is power.” In practice, this has meant surrendering American influence under the guise of partnership, sacrificing national security, interests, and values. This failure serves as a cautionary tale for the Trump Administration, which can address systemic issues by dismantling State Department incentive structures that reward officials for compromising American interests abroad.

The Biden legacy in Haiti is clear. Since the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021, gangs funded by international drug cartels have terrorized Haiti, seizing control of vast regions, raping, murdering, kidnapping, and displacing civilians. Over 4.7 million people live under gang rule, subjected to terror tactics like “collective rapes.” The toll is staggering: 702,000 Haitians are internally displaced, 5.6 million face starvation, and in 2023 alone, there were 1,971 kidnappings and 4,789 murders—figures likely underreported.

Today, Haiti’s infrastructure is crumbling, with ports in disarray and commercial flights to Port-au-Prince indefinitely suspended. If this is “success,” one shudders to imagine how the Biden-Harris Administration might define failure.

Haiti’s crisis has broader implications. A destabilized Haiti not only fuels narcotics and asylum seekers to U.S. borders but also provides China and Russia opportunities to exploit the chaos and expand their influence in the Western Hemisphere. To protect American interests, the Trump Administration should prioritize Haiti and focus on three key elements: security, targeted humanitarian aid, and governance reform.

While Biden’s State Department worsened the situation by meddling in Haiti’s affairs, blocking local solutions, and aligning the U.S. with corrupt oligarchs whose cronyism perpetuates instability, the Trump Administration has a tremendous opportunity to bring accountability to Haiti’s ruling elites. These oligarchs, who benefit by prostituting their country to drug cartels, must be held to account. By pursuing low-cost, high-impact strategies, the Trump Administration can stabilize Haiti and prevent a narco-controlled, failed state on America’s doorstep.

The first step is restoring security. Haiti’s national police and military are under-resourced, and Biden’s 400-man Kenyan-led mission was never a legitimate stabilizing measure. Contracting private military companies (PMCs) offers an expeditious and cost-effective solution without deploying U.S. troops or ensnaring America in a long-term quagmire. PMCs bring expertise in urban combat, intelligence, and operational support, enabling Haitian forces to reclaim critical infrastructure, including ports, roads, and airports. This approach offers a pragmatic way to stabilize Haiti and improve U.S. border security—stemming the flow of narcotics and asylum seekers without prolonged entanglements.

Addressing Haiti’s humanitarian crisis is equally critical to stemming the drivers of migration to the U.S. Half the country’s children suffer from chronic malnutrition, and most in Port-au-Prince have not attended school in six years. Gang violence has severed access to life-saving aid, worsening the suffering of millions. Reclaiming infrastructure and restoring security will allow aid deliveries to resume and essential services to restart. Once security and infrastructure are reclaimed, NGOs can return, multiplying public efforts with critical resources.

Finally, reform is imperative. Haiti’s entrenched corruption and cronyism must be dismantled through targeted governance reforms and accountability measures. For too long, DC-based technocrats have compromised with the very leaders prostituting their country to the highest bidder. Pragmatic accountability measures can dismantle the oligarchic stronghold while upholding America First principles. Realigning Haitian leadership with the needs of its people and prosecuting those who aid narco-terrorists and profit from the chaos is not only possible but necessary. With security and reform, displaced Haitian immigrants will feel safe to return home.

Haiti stands at a critical crossroads. Without decisive leadership, the U.S. risks allowing an entrenched narco-state to take root just 700 miles from its shores—dominated by cartel-backed insurgents and manipulated by foreign adversaries like China and Russia. These powers exploit Haiti’s chaos to expand their influence in the Western Hemisphere, undermining U.S. security and regional stability. Restoring order in Haiti is not only a matter of humanitarian necessity but also a strategic imperative grounded in the principles of the Monroe Doctrine to protect American interests.

Stabilizing Haiti through effective measures, such as contracting PMCs, provides a cost-effective and expeditious opportunity to reaffirm American strength, secure our borders, and stem the flow of narcotics and mass migration. This is a decisive step toward protecting U.S. interests and ensuring stability in our hemisphere.

For weeks versions of this article have been submitted and denied, one of which was submitted to the Miami Herald and has some alarming similarities to a recent piece by James Foley. Nevertheless, we are encouraged that Haiti is getting the attention it deserves not just for the sake of the millions suffering at the hands of narco-funded gangs, but because of the significant risk it poses to American security in the region.

Austin Holmes, a Florida native and former Haitian resident, has extensive experience directing high-stakes humanitarian efforts, crisis management operations and disaster response efforts in Haiti and the Caribbean. Notable achievements include coordinating relief efforts for over 750,000 Haitians after Hurricane Matthew, negotiating the rescue of numerous kidnap victims, and overseeing the evacuation of U.S. citizens and vulnerable populations from crisis zones.

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