The US embassy in Haiti has been forced to shut due to “ongoing security operations” amid heavy gunfire.
A security alert has been issued by the diplomatic building in Port-au-Prince, the capital of the Caribbean country, with US citizens urged to avoid the area.
The exact nature of the security alert remains unknown, but it comes just days before tens of thousands of Haitians in the US will lose their legal status.
A statement from the US Department of State Consular Affairs said: “The US Embassy in Port-au-Prince advises US citizens of ongoing security operations north and south of the embassy and in Croix-de-Bouquets.
“Heavy gunfire is reported in the area. US government personnel have halted all movements.”
While the consular service recommended people avoid the area, it added the embassy remained open “for emergency services”.
Croix-de-Bouquets, where the US embassy is based in Haiti, has long been considered a stronghold of local gang “400 Mawozo”.
The gang’s leader, Joly Germine, 34, was sentenced to life in prison in December last year for being involved in the abduction of 16 US citizens in 2021.
Donald Trump signed an executive order shortly after taking office to remove temporary protected status from 350,000 Haitian immigrants in the US
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The security incident comes amid the imminent implementation of President Trump’s executive order which revoked the temporary protected status of approximately 350,000 Haitian immigrants in the US.
Effective as of February 3, 2026, all Haitians still in America who had been granted temporary protected status will be eligible for deportation.
Temporary protected status was created by Congress to allow migrants from countries torn by disasters or political violence to remain in the US, protected from deportation.
The US Department for Homeland Security under President Trump says “the environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home”.
Mr Trump’s executive order is being challenged in the courts, with a ruling in Washington expected before Tuesday’s deadline.
The court ruling may temporarily block the administration from ending temporary protected status.
