Immigration attorney and legal analyst LaToya McBean-Pompy, Esq. is raising serious concerns about a new deportation initiative allegedly targeting Haitians with suspected gang affiliations.
The respected attorney calls the approach dangerous, unconstitutional, and lacking due process.
In a passionate video posted to her Instagram account @mcbeanimmigrationlaw, McBean-Pompy responded to news that the Trump-backed policy aims to deport Haitians allegedly connected to criminal groups. She pushed back on what she described as celebratory reactions from some in the Haitian community.
“So Haitians are happy about the fact that the government is grouping them together and saying that if you’re affiliated with a certain gang, we’re going to deport you? Based on what rationale?” she asked in the video, now gaining traction online.
The founder of McBean Immigration Law warned that the sweeping nature of the policy could result in the wrongful deportation of people who were never proven to have gang affiliations. She referenced previous detentions of Venezuelan migrants who were sent to a terrorist prison in El Salvador without conclusive evidence, including individuals like Abrego Garcia, whose deportation had been previously blocked by an immigration judge.
“If this gang affiliation is something the government is concerned about,” she said, “why not go one by one and target individuals for deportation? Make your case in court.”
McBean-Pompy pointed to a press release issued by Sen. Marco Rubio and the U.S. State Department as part of a broader move to implement mass removals under the guise of national security.
She questioned whether the celebratory responses to the policy are coming from Haitians in the United States or in Haiti, urging those in the U.S., especially recent arrivals under Biden’s humanitarian parole programs, to be vigilant.
“If you’ve ever applied for asylum and mentioned gangs—even just the word ‘gang’—this might affect you,” she cautioned.
As a seasoned immigration attorney with a nationwide following, McBean-Pompy pointed out the need for individualized legal review, rather than blanket policies that violate constitutional protections.
“It is never a good thing for the government to group people and say, ‘we’re going after them,’” she said. “Because I don’t think they’re just going after five or ten people. I think they’re looking for a lot more.”
