Haitian Group Condemns Trump's 'Weaponization of Violence' Against Caribbean Immigrants

The Haitian Bridge Alliance calls out the former president's divisive rhetoric and exploitation of a tragic incident to target immigrant communities.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 2:07am

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A dimly lit gas station at night, with a single car parked under a flickering streetlight. The scene has a quiet, melancholic mood, reflecting the tragedy of the incident.A somber scene at a gas station underscores the human tragedy behind the political rhetoric surrounding this incident.Fort Myers Today

The San Diego-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has strongly condemned former U.S. President Donald Trump for what it describes as the 'weaponization of violence' to target Caribbean and other immigrant communities. Trump's latest attack came after reports of a fatal attack allegedly by a Haitian immigrant accused of killing a Bangladeshi immigrant in Florida. The HBA says Trump's rhetoric is 'misleading and dangerous,' and that the exploitation of this tragedy to demonize Haitian immigrants and dismantle humanitarian protections like Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is 'unjust and deeply harmful.'

Why it matters

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and political divisions around immigration policy in the U.S., with immigrant advocacy groups accusing Trump and other politicians of using isolated incidents to unfairly target and stigmatize entire immigrant communities, especially those from the Caribbean and Latin America. The debate over TPS and other humanitarian protections remains a contentious issue.

The details

According to reports, a 40-year-old Haitian immigrant named Rolbert Joachin was arrested and charged with killing a 51-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant named Nilufa Easmin (also known as Yasmin) with a hammer at a gas station in Fort Myers, Florida. Trump subsequently shared graphic footage of the killing and used the incident to criticize immigration policies, including TPS for Haitians. The Haitian Bridge Alliance strongly denounced Trump's decision to 'weaponize this isolated tragedy to advance a broader narrative that stigmatizes Black and brown immigrant communities and undermines humanitarian protections such as TPS.'

  • On April 11, 2026, the Haitian Bridge Alliance condemned former President Trump's comments.
  • In August 2022, the suspect Rolbert Joachin arrived in the U.S. by 'water vessel' near Key West, Florida and was granted TPS in 2023.
  • On April 7, 2026, Joachin was arrested and charged with killing Nilufa Easmin at a gas station in Fort Myers, Florida.

The players

Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA)

A San Diego, California-based organization that advocates for Haitian immigrants and condemns Trump's rhetoric targeting Caribbean immigrant communities.

Rolbert Joachin

A 40-year-old Haitian immigrant accused of killing a 51-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant Nilufa Easmin (also known as Yasmin) with a hammer at a gas station in Fort Myers, Florida.

Nilufa Easmin (Yasmin)

A 51-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant who was killed in an attack at a gas station in Fort Myers, Florida.

Donald J. Trump

The former President of the United States who shared graphic footage of the killing and used the incident to criticize immigration policies, including Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians.

Kelei Walker

The acting field office director for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in Miami, who stated that Joachin has been stripped of his TPS status.

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What they’re saying

“The video of her brutal slaying is one of the most vicious things you will ever see.”

— Donald J. Trump, Former President of the United States

“Such rhetoric is not only misleading—it is dangerous. Our hearts are with the family of the victim during this unimaginably painful time. We condemn this act of violence in the strongest possible terms. But we must also be clear: one individual's actions do not define an entire people.”

— Guerline Jozef, Executive Director, Haitian Bridge Alliance

“The tragic situation that happened in Florida should not be used to demonize entire communities or dismantle protections that thousands of families rely on to live safely and work legally under programs like Temporary Protected Status.”

— Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition

“We'll make sure he never gets to the streets of the United States and gets back to his home country.”

— Kelei Walker, Acting Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Miami

What’s next

Kelei Walker, the acting field office director for ICE in Miami, stated that Rolbert Joachin has been stripped of his TPS status and will be deported back to his home country.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and political divisions around immigration policy in the U.S., with immigrant advocacy groups accusing politicians of using isolated incidents to unfairly target and stigmatize entire immigrant communities, especially those from the Caribbean and Latin America. The debate over TPS and other humanitarian protections remains a contentious issue that will likely continue to be a focus of political discourse.