The US is going through criticism for welcoming Ukrainian refugees after deporting Haitian migrants again to their homeland.

A senior Biden administration official informed reporters Thursday that as much as 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine can be welcomed to the U.S. via its refugee program and different authorized pathways. Because the invasion started in late February, greater than 3 million Ukrainians have left their houses.

"By opening our nation to those people, we'll assist relieve among the stress on the European host nations which can be presently shouldering a lot of the obligations for what's the largest refugee disaster in Europe for the reason that Second World Battle," the official mentioned.

However many questioned why the U.S. can support Ukrainians after the administration deported hundreds of Haitians who fled Haiti final yr after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Viral pictures in September 2021 exhibiting Border Patrol brokers on horses corralling migrants prompted outrage.

"That is good, but additionally underscores simply how badly Haitian migrants have been handled and are STILL being handled," New York Instances columnist Charles Blow wrote on Twitter. "They're nonetheless being deported!"

Consultant Andy Levin, a Michigan Democrat, tweeted that "the U.S. cannot declare to be a worldwide secure haven for the oppressed & persecuted if we flip away refugees in search of security due to the place they're from."

"Deporting Haitian refugees—and different Black + Brown immigrants—and upholding Title 42 is an appalling coverage that[Biden] should cease," Levin added.

Title 42 requires the removing of people getting into the nation from nations the place a contagious illness was current, and was applied by the Trump administration in March 2020 to expel migrants amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The rule has resulted in hundreds of Central American and Haitian migrants being turned again on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Human Rights Watch launched a report this week detailing the "chaos" Haitian migrants are returned to when deported. The watchdog group mentioned 25,765 individuals have been expelled or deported to Haiti between January 1, 2021 via February 26, 2022. Of these, the U.S. returned 79 % or 20,309 individuals.

U.S. Criticized for Welcoming Ukrainians, Haitians Deported
The US is going through criticism for welcoming Ukrainian refugees after deporting Haitian migrants again to their homeland. On this photograph, Haitians cross the Rio Grande again to america in Parque Ecologico Braulio Fernandez in Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila state, Mexico, on September 23, 2021.Paul Ratje/AFP by way of GETTY IMAGES

Ukrainians in search of refuge on the border might be exempt from Title 42, Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas informed reporters final week, as can different migrants making "credible worry" claims.

Mayorkas mentioned the exemptions are made on a case-by-case foundation, as officers "handle a person's declare for humanitarian aid as they're offered to us."

Human Rights Watch mentioned the U.S. "has usually not given individuals returned to Haiti underneath Title 42 a possibility to precise their fears of persecution or violence or to use for asylum, in violation of worldwide legislation."

Democratic Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs additionally known as on the Biden administration to finish Title 42, in addition to raise the refugee cap. President Joe Biden has set a restrict of resettling 125,000 refugees within the U.S. from all nations this fiscal yr.

Sawyer Hackett, co-host of the Our America podcast with former presidential candidate and Obama administration official Julián Castro, additionally criticized the Biden administration over Title 42.

Newsweek reached out to the White Home in addition to the Division of Homeland Safety for remark however did not obtain a response earlier than publication.

Refugees Worldwide mentioned in a press release to Newsweek that it applauds the U.S. choice to simply accept as much as 100,000 Ukrainians. Nonetheless, the group additionally advocated for others in search of refuge on the border.

"We imagine that these in search of refuge on the U.S. border must be given an opportunity to hunt safety and that expulsion to Haiti is unconscionable particularly now, given the violence, political instability, and humanitarian disaster prevailing there," mentioned Yael Schacher, Refugee Worldwide's deputy director for the Americas and Europe. "The European response to Ukrainians exhibits that america can accomplish that rather more to welcome individuals in search of security at its border. We must always not pit refugees from overseas in opposition to asylum seekers at our border, a key tactic of the earlier administration that led to a race to the underside for each. The aim must be to the opposite means round: to increase the safety we're based on Ukrainians to different teams as nicely."

Replace 03/24/22, 4:11 p.m. ET: This story has been up to date with remark from Refugees Worldwide.