Sunny Hostin criticized U.S. policy on Haiti during a taping of The View on Tuesday.
Disturbing images of Haitian asylum seekers being assaulted at the Texas border by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on horseback have been circulating in the media and on social networking sites. Migrants are seeking safety after a recent season of unrest in the country prompted by a Presidential assassination, and a massive earthquake.
During a roundtable conversation where guest co-host Cara Carleton “Carly” Fiorina asked the Biden administration “Why aren’t you talking about Haiti? Why aren’t you doing anything to help Haiti,” Hostin replied, “Well I think the reason that we’re not seeing more help- if I’m gonna be frank about it- is because they’re Haitian.”
“I think that is the history,” she continued, referencing the legacy of crisis era relations between the United States and Haiti.
“We saw it when it first came to the demonizing of Haitians when it came to the AIDs crisis and then we saw it continuing.”
Hostin labeled the violence a continuation of “the punishment of Haiti for becoming the first Black free nation in our hemisphere.”
“I think that U.S. policy towards Haiti has always been corrupt and it doesn’t have to be that way because we know that the United States can do it, there is a way to do it, there’s just no will to do it.”
She compared the crisis to the Afghan refugee crisis. “The United states and the White House has promised to bring ninety-five thousand Afghans here – and I’m not saying they shouldn’t be brought here – they should be that is the promise of this country but if you can send ninety-five thousand Afghans here why are you sending eight-six Haitians back on an airplane to a county that has been devastated?”
WATCH: How you can help Haiti earthquake relief
Hostin revealed how the situation was personally significant to her. “I take this personally because my husband is Haitian and I have been to Haiti many many times,” she said.
“It is a beautiful country with a rich culture and beautiful people and they should not be treated like this.”
Watch the full clip below.
