Save The Date: 2013 Reception In Honor Of Haitian Independence

Haiti is giving political parties and candidates more time to complete the process of getting on the ballot as the country moves toward its first national elections in roughly a decade.⁠ ⁠ The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced on September 2 that it extended the candidate-registration process following requests from political parties and groups that said they needed additional time. The overall process, originally scheduled to conclude October 2, will now run through October 14.⁠ ⁠ Under the revised schedule, candidates have until September 20 to register online, while required documents can be submitted through September 22. The CEP will review applications through September 28 and publish a preliminary list of candidates on September 29. Challenges and appeals will follow before the final list of approved candidates is published October 14.⁠ ⁠ But here's what voters should know: the election date itself has not been pushed back.⁠ ⁠ Haiti's first round of presidential and legislative elections remains scheduled for December 13, 2026, with a second round planned for February 21, 2027. If the elections take place as scheduled, they would be Haiti's first national elections in about a decade.⁠ ⁠ Getting to Election Day, however, remains a major challenge. Haiti continues to face widespread gang violence, displacement and insecurity, conditions that have already disrupted previous election timelines. The electoral process has faced repeated delays, and the ability to hold elections safely remains closely tied to improvements in security and sufficient funding.⁠ ⁠ For now, the CEP is moving forward with the December timeline, while giving political parties additional time to complete the steps required to get their candidates officially approved.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Haiti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Her Excellency Raina Forbin, received a high-level CARICOM Eminent Persons Group (EPG) delegation on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at the Chancellery for an official working visit focused on the country’s political and security challenges.⁠ ⁠ The minister hosted a working lunch with the group, which included former Prime Ministers Kenny Anthony of Saint Lucia, Orette Bruce Golding of Jamaica, and Perry Christie of the Bahamas. Also present were CARICOM representatives Ambassador Colin Granderson, Deputy Secretary-General Elizabeth Solomon, and Project Officer Anna-Lisa Jones-Reis, along with Ambassador Jerusa Ali, Director-General of the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Julian Smith, Chargé d’Affaires of the Bahamas.⁠ ⁠ Discussions centered on Haiti’s political and security situation, progress in the electoral process, and the conditions required for free, credible, inclusive, and secure elections. The talks also addressed CARICOM’s ongoing support for efforts by Haitian authorities.⁠ ⁠ Minister Forbin reaffirmed the commitment of the government led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé to work with all national stakeholders and international partners to restore security and hold the next elections. She commended CARICOM’s steadfast engagement with Haiti and called for continued support in stabilization and reconstruction.⁠ ⁠ The EPG, established by CARICOM Heads of Government in 2023, has long served as a facilitation mechanism for dialogue among Haitian political actors, civil society, and government officials. Its members bring experience in governance and mediation as Haiti works toward elections amid persistent gang violence and the need for broader deployment of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force. ⁠ ⁠ CARICOM has repeatedly underscored that Haiti’s stability is tied to regional security and has advocated for renewal of the Gang Suppression Force mandate while supporting Haitian-led solutions.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Another U.S. deportation flight landed in northern Haiti on Thursday, the latest in a rapid series of ICE Air charters sending Haitian nationals back to a country still gripped by gang violence and political instability.⁠ ⁠ The Global X Immigration and Customs Enforcement Air charter originated in Alexandria, Louisiana, and departed Opa-locka Executive Airport at 11 a.m. IHaitian authorities were told as many as 78 people could be aboard.⁠ ⁠ Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the flight in a post on X about an hour before the aircraft departed the Miami area. “Good morning, America. Today’s deportation destination: HAITI,” he said with a photo of shackled deportees walking in a straight line toward the aircraft. The image is the latest in which the agency has turned Haitian deportations into theater.⁠ ⁠ Last week, DHS posted a grainy video of Haitian deportees in shackles and chains boarding a plane in the rain days after gangs carried out a massacre set to an upbeat Haitian song. The clip drew outrage from Haitians in the diaspora and immigrant-rights advocates.⁠ ⁠ Thursday’s operation is the third U.S. removal flight to Haiti in three weeks, after the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for more than 300,000 Haitians, even as litigation over that termination continues. Until recently, flights to Haiti averaged about once a month. U.S. officials have previously signaled they want to move toward two flights a week.⁠ ⁠ The planes now land in Cap-Haïtien because commercial service into Port-au-Prince remains restricted. Gangs control much of the capital and have expanded into other regions. Last week, dozens of people were shot and burned inside their homes in Kenscoff, and more than 50 were abducted. Two weeks earlier, gangs attacked Fort Dimanche in Cité Soleil.⁠ ⁠ As Thursday’s U.S. flight headed toward Cap-Haïtien, Bahamian immigration officials said a vessel carrying Haitian migrants had been interdicted off Great Inagua the night before. Those passengers, they said, will eventually be repatriated through Cap-Haïtien as well. #lunionsuite

For the first time, three Haitian players will compete in the same UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign. 🇭🇹⚽️🇭🇹 ⁠ ⁠ Melchie Dumornay of OL Lyonnes, Brittany Raphino of Inter Milan, and Océane Toussaint of Paris Saint-Germain are all entered in the 2026–27 Women’s Champions League. Three Grenadières. Three major European clubs. One historic first for Haitian women’s football.⁠ ⁠ Dumornay is already a star at the highest level. Born in Mirebalais, she has become one of OL Lyonnes’ most important players, scored five goals in last season’s Champions League, helped the club reach the 2026 final in Oslo, and was named to UEFA’s Team of the Season. She was also the first Haitian nominated for the Ballon d’Or.⁠ ⁠ Raphino arrived in Italy this summer. Born in Randolph, Massachusetts, to a Haitian father, the former Brown University standout signed a three-year deal with Inter Milan in July after two and a half seasons at Sporting CP in Portugal. She received her first Haiti call-up in April 2026 for World Cup qualifying. Inter are in Women’s Champions League qualifying this season, and the forward has already featured in the third round.⁠ ⁠ Toussaint is the newest piece. The 22-year-old goalkeeper, born in Bagnolet, France, came through the PSG academy, chose Haiti in April 2026, and made her senior debut on June 5 in a 2–1 win over New Zealand. She extended her PSG contract through 2028 and is in the Parisians’ Women’s Champions League squad as they contest qualifying against Eintracht Frankfurt.⁠ ⁠ Haiti, the U.S. diaspora, and France, three different roads to the same competition.⁠ ⁠ Whether all three reach the league phase or stay in qualifying, their presence in the same edition is already a landmark. From a first World Cup in 2023 to players at Lyon, Inter, and PSG in Europe’s biggest club tournament in the same season, Les Grenadières keep writing new pages.⁠ ⁠ 📸 @caleb_jephte⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian

About 100 people gathered outside Columbus City Hall on Wednesday evening, candles in hand, to remember Pierre Damas Bel as more than a headline. The 20-year-old Haitian student, soccer player, JROTC member, and Wright State University freshman was described by those who knew him as joyful, driven, and full of promise “one of the brightest lights” in a community that has watched too many young lives dim under the weight of immigration policy. Bel died Aug. 31 after walking into westbound traffic on Interstate 70 in Clark County and being struck by a tractor-trailer, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. His family and advocates say he died by suicide after weeks of shame and bullying over an ICE ankle monitor placed on him in late July, following the end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. He had called his father that morning at 8:03 a.m. “Dad, I’m not feeling okay mentally because of the bullying,” he asked his son to come home so they could talk. Hours later, police arrived at the family’s door. At the vigil, friends and coworkers stood with elected officials and Haitian community leaders. They refused to let Bel be reduced to a policy debate. They named him: oldest of three sons, Springfield High School honors graduate, National Honor Society member, varsity soccer player for the Wildcats, and a Texas Roadhouse teammate who showed up, worked hard, and made people laugh. Coworkers from the restaurant attended the vigil and spoke about working alongside him. They described a young man who was reliable on the floor, kind to guests and staff, and proud of the hours he put in while juggling school, soccer, and JROTC. @Iamyola.marj who knew Bel as a close friend and mentee, condemned the way Haitian migrants have been painted as criminals. ICE has rejected claims that the agency is responsible, stating that “any attempts to blame ICE for the death of Pierre Damas Bel are false” and repeating that people without legal status are not required to remain in the country wearing a monitor. Funeral arrangements remain pending. His parents had hoped to bury him in Haiti; that request has not been granted. #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Economist, author, and public figure @EtzerEmile registered Thursday as a voter at the Lycée National de Pétion-Ville, one of the official voter registration centers in the Ouest department.⁠ ⁠ Emile arrived with a large group of supporters, described by local media as hundreds of young people and close associates. The visit comes as Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) continues the voter registration drive ahead of general elections scheduled for December 13, the country’s first national vote in a decade.⁠ ⁠ While some early social media posts described the crowd shouting “Viv Prezidan,” major reports focused on Emile’s remarks rather than chants. He expressed concern about the current state of the electoral process and called for the security conditions necessary to hold a credible and transparent election.⁠ ⁠ Voter registration at the Lycée National de Pétion-Ville has already drawn high-profile figures, including Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé in early August and Economy and Finance Minister Serge Gabriel Collin this week. Officials have repeatedly urged citizens with a valid national identification card to register.⁠ ⁠ Emile, known for his bestselling book Haïti a choisi de devenir un pays pauvre and his work on entrepreneurship and civic education through Haiti Efficace and Fondation Avenir, has not formally declared a presidential candidacy. His appearance at the registration center has nevertheless fueled speculation about his political intentions.⁠ ⁠ Haiti’s electoral calendar remains contingent on improved security. Gangs still control large parts of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, and both the CEP and government have acknowledged that the December date will hold only if conditions allow.⁠ ⁠ The registration process continues across designated centers in Pétion-Ville, Delmas, and Tabarre. Citizens must present a valid Carte d’identification nationale to enroll.⁠ ⁠ 🎥 Tripotay Lakay⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian

Carla Jeffery, the actress best known as Bree in Disney’s Zombies films and as the Haitian-American teen at the center of the 2016 Disney Channel short Exchange, died on Tuesday, September 1. She was 33. Her longtime management team at Alexanders Talent Management confirmed the news. No cause of death has been released. Jeffery was born July 10, 1993, in Houston and began working as a child. At 12 she appeared in Phat Girlz opposite Mo’Nique. She built a two-decade career across Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and adult television, including a 10-episode run as Keysha Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm, plus roles on Southland, iCarly, Shake It Up, Good Luck Charlie, Best Friends Whenever, and American Vandal. She is survived by her twin brother, actor Carlon Jeffery of A.N.T. Farm. To a generation of Disney viewers she was Bree, the loyal, high-energy Seabrook High cheerleader and best friend to Addison in Zombies (2018), Zombies 2 (2020), and Zombies 3 (2022). She later voiced the same character on Zombies: The Re-Animated Series. Ten years ago, filmmaker Daheli Hall, Haitian-Jamaican, Miami-raised cast Jeffery as the lead in Exchange, one of a slate of Disney Channel shorts. After a class trip to Paris is canceled, Jeffery’s character, Brijitte, a Haitian-American teenager who moves between English, French, and Kreyòl, proposes a different kind of exchange: classmates spend time in each other’s homes. At her house, her granmè (played by Haitian actress Karina Bonnefil) slips between French and Kreyol. L’Union Suite covered the short when it dropped in August 2016, noting how rare it was then, and still is to hear Kreyòl in a kids’ program built for a global audience. For many young Haitian viewers, it was one of the first times a girl who sounded like home was the one driving the plot. Hall posted a tribute this week that she could not finish on camera. “Yesterday I was in a high. Today I’m so low. We lost Carla Jeffrey far too soon,” she wrote. “Ten years ago, I cast Carla as the lead in my short film for Disney Channel… I love you, Carla. Thank you so much for your light.” Our condolences to her family, friends and fans. 🎥 @daheliofficial #lunionsuite

A Department of Homeland Security video showing Black men in shackles and chains boarding a deportation flight to Haiti has drawn sharp condemnation from Haitian community leaders in South Florida.⁠ ⁠ The video was posted by DHS the day after the first deportation flight following the end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians left on August 27. It shows men being led onto a plane in the rain while restrained and is set to an upbeat Haitian song.⁠ ⁠ In an @NBC6 Miami news piece reported by Ari Odzer, community leaders described the footage as dehumanizing. “This video is absolutely reprehensible, this video is basically dehumanizing us,” said Paul Namphy of the Family Action Network. He connected the imagery to the painful history of how Black people have been treated in this country.⁠ ⁠ L’Union Suite founder Wanda Tima was featured in the NBC 6 report and expressed shock at the decision to release the video. “I was in utter shock that they had even released something like this,” she said. “And then you’re creating this sickening messaging around Haitians on TPS, that they are all criminals. People that are on TPS were here legally.”⁠ ⁠ The flight landed in Cap-Haïtien. Separate arrival footage showed deportees stepping off the plane without shackles. When asked for comment, DHS stated that Temporary Protected Status is temporary by design, compared the moment to “closing time,” and pointed to a $2,600 payment plus a free flight for those who leave voluntarily.⁠ ⁠ Advocates questioned the purpose of the video, noting that Haitians who held TPS already knew their status had ended and that Haiti remains so dangerous commercial airlines will not fly into the capital. ⁠ ⁠ Namphy said his group is asking Florida’s senators to support legislation restoring TPS for Haitians for three more years.⁠ ⁠ VIdeo Source: NBC6 Miami⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian

Miss World Haiti Marie Kemlyne Félix (@mariekemlynefelix) took the stage at "Dances of the World" in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Performing before a crowd of more than 10,000 spectators, she showcased Haiti's national costume and danced to the rhythms of her homeland, dedicating her performance to the working women of Haiti who never stop hustling.⁠ ⁠ Following her performance, part of the cultural showcase ahead of the 73rd Miss World Final on September 5, Félix shared a tribute dedicated to her grandmother and the everyday women who inspired her journey:⁠ ⁠ "For my grandmother 'Aunt Sarah.' For the culture. For all Mrs. Sara who never stops hustling in life. For all those living in bad conditions. A representation worth a thousand words. Our origin cannot condemn us! Honor and respect for Mrs. Sara, the strength of our country's economy."⁠ ⁠ In Haiti, "Madan Sara" is the name given to the market women often grandmothers, mothers, and aunts who carry goods across the country to sell in markets, forming the backbone of the nation's informal economy. By dedicating her performance to "Aunt Sarah," Félix wasn't just honoring her own grandmother; she was paying tribute to generations of Haitian women whose relentless work has sustained families and communities through hardship.⁠ ⁠ Her words "Our origin cannot condemn us!" struck a chord with viewers, framing her presence on one of the world's biggest pageant stages as more than a personal achievement. It became a statement about resilience, representation, and the refusal to let circumstance define destiny.⁠ ⁠ The "Dances of the World" segment grouped Miss World 2026's 111 contestants into four regions the Americas and Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Asia-Oceania each showcasing traditional dress and dance rooted in their home countries. Félix's performance stood out as a vivid expression of Haitian culture, color, and pride, reinforcing why national costume moments remain some of the most anticipated segments of the competition.⁠ ⁠ 📸 @missworld @ricardo.siviero @kiengcanpro⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian #caribbean

The U.S. Department of Justice is expanding what states are required to report to federal immigration authorities. Under a new legal opinion issued by the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel, states that participate in federal programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) must report people they know are not lawfully present in the United States to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The change affects all agencies within a participating state, not just the agencies that directly manage TANF or SSI programs. The DOJ says states that fail to follow the reporting requirement could face serious consequences, including the loss of federal program funding. The new opinion reverses a 1998 Office of Legal Counsel interpretation that had taken a narrower approach. Under that earlier interpretation, only the specific state agencies administering TANF or SSI were required to report information to federal immigration authorities. The DOJ says the new interpretation does not create a new law or new reporting requirement. Instead, the department argues that it is restoring what it believes Congress already required under the 1996 welfare reform law. The opinion applies going forward, meaning states will not face retroactive penalties for following the older 1998 interpretation. The financial stakes are significant. The DOJ says all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and several U.S. territories currently participate in TANF and SSI, while federal TANF grants total more than $16.4 billion annually. The change could also mean more state agencies may have to review what information they have about a person’s immigration status and determine when they are legally required to share it with DHS. For immigrant communities, the policy adds another layer to the federal government’s ongoing immigration enforcement efforts. However, the DOJ opinion itself does not say that every undocumented person will automatically be reported. The requirement applies to people a state knows are not lawfully present and is tied to the federal reporting rules outlined in the law. #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

The U.S. has extended restrictions on certain flights over Haiti through March 2, 2027, as security concerns continue around Port-au-Prince.⁠ ⁠ The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restriction prevents U.S. airlines, commercial operators and certain U.S.-registered civilian aircraft from flying below 10,000 feet in designated areas of Haiti, including the airspace around Port-au-Prince.⁠ ⁠ The restriction was first put in place after gunfire targeted a Spirit Airlines flight approaching Toussaint Louverture International Airport in November 2025. A flight attendant suffered minor injuries, and other aircraft were also damaged.⁠ ⁠ The latest extension comes as gangs continue to control large parts of Port-au-Prince, keeping the capital's airspace under heightened security restrictions.⁠ ⁠ For Haitians and travelers, the decision is another sign of how the country's ongoing security crisis continues to affect transportation in and out of the capital.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

#LunionSuiteExcellence 🇭🇹 Haitian-American soprano Melissa Joseph is heading to one of the most prestigious music schools in the world. The Brooklyn-based lyric soprano announced she has been accepted into The Juilliard School’s Artist Diploma program in Opera Studies, one of only four singers selected, and the spot is fully funded. “One of four singers, and it’s fully funded. God is INCREDIBLE! I’m overjoyed!” @Meli_joe posted, tagging the school. The Artist Diploma in Opera Studies is Juilliard’s most advanced, highly selective two-year pre-professional program. It is designed for already accomplished singers and focuses on intensive acting, vocal technique, coaching, and career placement at the highest level. Acceptance is rare. Fully funded spots are rarer still. Music was never optional in Joseph’s house. Her father played in the church band. Her mother sang in Haiti. Both of her sisters played the violin. Her godfather and pastor had been a member of the well-known Haitian group Le Souffle Divin. At age 4, she was already singing Haitian hymns in church. Her parents, who immigrated from Haiti to Pennsylvania in the early 1980s, had a more cautious vision. Like many immigrant families, they hoped she would choose a “safe” profession, doctor, nurse, or lawyer. Joseph grew up between Haitian church communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The house was filled with music, including her father’s recordings of Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven. She received a full-ride scholarship to Georgia State University to study music and later returned for her Master of Music in Vocal Performance. Those years, she has said, taught her how the opera world actually works and connected her with artists who poured into her. The path after that was long: competitions, young artist programs, cover roles, and mainstage debuts. Joseph made her Opera Philadelphia debut as Musetta in La Bohème; The Washington Post called the performance “show-stopping.” She appeared with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Lily in the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s Awakenings, sang Mrs. Gleaton in Susannah, and covered the title role in Treemonisha. 📸 @jjfecik #lunionsuite #haitianamerican