US, Dominican Republic Spar Over Extra Scrutiny of Black Travelers

As the Dominican Republic increases the deportation of Haitian nationals, Black US citizens risk being caught up in the sweep, the US Embassy in Santo Domingo said.

“Travelers to the Dominican Republic have reported being delayed, detained, or subject to heightened questioning at ports of entry and in other encounters with immigration officials based on their skin color,” the embassy said in an alert published over the weekend.

The warning comes as the Dominican Republic has been stepping up the deportation of undocumented migrants from neighboring Haiti, as that nation is mired in gang violence and political instability.

In a blistering response, the Dominican Foreign Ministry said US officials had not provided “a single piece of evidence” to back their claim, and that the Caribbean nation has a sovereign right to enforce its immigration policies.

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