“Driving through Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, the city has the feeling of a war zone. That is because it is one," writes CFR expert Sam Vigersky. In the past 5 years, gang-related violence in Haiti has reached a new level. Armed gangs have set fire to entire neighborhoods, destroying large sections of Port-au-Prince. The violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people within the country. Up to 350,000 Haitians in the U.S. now face deportation after the Trump administration stated in June 2025 that conditions in Haiti have “improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home.” Vigersky visited Port-au-Prince to see the situation firsthand: