Quixote Center works to influence United States policies that impact the people we work with. We advocate with Congress and the Administration to change US foreign policies that exacerbate extreme poverty and vulnerability in Haiti and Nicaragua. Extreme poverty, violence, and vulnerability lead families to make the heartbreaking decision to migrate, to the United States or elsewhere. We work to address these root causes when they have a US policy solution. We also advocate for immigration policies in the United States that promote the dignity of migrants, focusing on preserving the asylum system.
Our current priorities include:
Quixote Center impacts policies through:
You can view a recent webinar on Weapons Trafficking to Haiti here.
On March 15, the United States government forcibly disappeared over 200 Venezuelans to a maximum security prison in El Salvador based on unproven allegations that they were members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan organized crime group.
The humanitarian situation in Haiti continues to worsen as its people suffer from a crisis of violence and hunger, fueled by weapons and ammunition trafficked from the US. Due to the rescission of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians set to take place in August 2025, many more Haitians who are in the US legally are at risk of being deported back to Haiti which does not have the infrastructure or resources to resettle them.
More than half of the people in Haiti are facing severe hunger, with at least 8,000, specifically among those displaced and living in tent camps, facing starvation. Gang violence killed 5600 people in 2024, with more than one million people displaced. The violence, death, hunger and displacement are a result of weak U.S. gun laws and weak enforcement that enriches manufacturers and dealers and enables illegal gun trafficking across the Caribbean.
Gang Violence, TPS, and Advocacy
In February, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded the extended designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, ending legal protections for Haitians with TPS living in the United States on August 3, 2025.
The immigration system in the US is dysfunctional, with decades of failed attempts at comprehensive immigration reform. The reason: powerful interest groups are profiting from it. Although immigrants founded the United States, and our nation is supposed to be a land of opportunity for those seeking the “American Dream”, the US has a complex history of anti-immigrant sentiment with cycles that have pushed and pulled people from all parts of the world.
Quixote Center is an anti-racist organization. The history of racism, systematic oppression and exploitation of people of color began with the origins of this country and continues with devastating effects today among communities of color. These include pervasive anti-Blackness as a hallmark of living in the United States, and the notion that making America great includes expelling immigrants of color. We believe that efforts toward diversity, equity and inclusion are what is making our country great.
It’s complicated, to say the least.
Our new President claims that a “bunch of radical lunatics” run USAID. His preposterously wealthy sidekick calls it a criminal organization and said it was “time for it to die.”(i) They have not presented evidence.
Stay strong. It will be a tough few years.
We reaffirm our commitment to support and promote the rights and dignity of people on the move, as well as migrants already seeking a new life in our country. We reaffirm the humanity and dignity of LGBTQ persons and offer our love. We stand behind Bishop Budde’s plea for compassion and mercy toward the most vulnerable.
There is a lot of noise about migration coming from political campaigns, and from all sides. Most recently the U.S. government has limited asylum applications at the border in order to stem an ever-growing flow. Congress couldn’t pass bipartisan legislation to do essentially the same thing, because on the political right, politicians want to use the issue to rally their base.
We are getting closer to unpacking the complicated web of laws and agencies responsible for preventing U.S.- made weapons from getting into the hands of criminal elements in Haiti.
On Wednesday Quixote Center convened partner organizations together with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff director in charge of global trade violations and export enforcement coordination.
