WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Donald Trump administration says it is taking steps to impose visa restrictions and revoke the visas of two Haitian Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) members and their immediate family members including their children.

“These actions are being taken due to the TPC member’s involvement in the operation of gangs and other criminal organisations in Haiti, including through interference with the Government of Haiti’s efforts to counter gangs designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) by the United States (US),” said US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas “Tommy” Pigott.

He did not name the TPC members, but said the action is being taken under the US Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which generally bars entrance to those whose entry or proposed activities have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for our nation.

“The United States remains committed to supporting Haiti’s stability and to partnering with Haitian authorities to fight gang violence in Haiti. The Haitian people have had enough with gang violence, destruction and political infighting. The Trump administration will promote accountability for those who continue to destabilise Haiti and the region,” Pigott added.

Pigott said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Fils-Aimé last Friday in reaffirming the administration’s support for the French-speaking Caribbean Community’s (Caricom) stability and security.

He said Rubio “emphasised the importance of his continued tenure as Haiti’s Prime Minister to combat terrorist gangs and stabilise” the country.

“The current violence caused by gangs can only be stopped with consistent, strong leadership, with the full support of the Haitian people,” Pigott said, noting that Rubio added that the TPC “must be dissolved by February 7 without corrupt actors seeking to interfere in Haiti’s path to elected governance for their own gains”.

“Haiti’s leader must choose Haiti’s stability. The United States will ensure there is a steep cost for corrupt politicians who support vicious gangs and wreak terrorism on Haiti,” Pigott said.

As powerful gangs continue to expand their control across the country, senior United Nations (UN) officials warned the security council last week that Haiti’s deepening crisis has reached a critical phase.

With the political transition set to expire on February 7, UN officials cautioned that escalating violence, entrenched criminal networks and mounting humanitarian needs risk pushing Haiti further into instability unless security and political efforts are urgently sustained.

The head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, said the country had entered a “critical phase” in efforts to restore democratic institutions, calling on Haitian actors to contain political fragmentation and prioritise elections.

“Let us be clear: the country no longer has time to waste on prolonged internal struggles,” he said, stressing the need for continuity of governance arrangements beyond the February deadline and sustained coordination to bring the transition to a close.

Ruiz-Massieu said recent steps toward elections were encouraging, citing the adoption of an electoral decree on December 1 and the publication of a calendar for going to the polls later that month.

He said new provisions on voter registration, overseas voter participation and women’s representation could boost inclusivity if effectively implemented.

But the UN said progress on the political front is unfolding against a deteriorating security landscape.

The UN said gangs continue to mount coordinated attacks, control key economic corridors and agricultural regions, and force mass displacement stretching police and humanitarian capacity to the limit.

The murder rate in 2025 rose by nearly 20 per cent compared with 2024, Ruiz-Massieu said.

He said some security gains have been made, stating that police operations, supported by the security council-authorised Gang Suppression Force, have reopened roads in parts of Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite Department, while state presence around the capital’s Champ de Mars has been gradually restored.

However, Ruiz-Massieu cautioned that such gains remain fragile and risk reversal without sustained pressure and basic service delivery.

John Brandolino, acting executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said the evolving violence reflects a deeper transformation of Haiti’s criminal landscape.

Both officials underscored the importance of the transition of the Multinational Security Support Mission into the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) and the establishment of the UN Support Office in Haiti, calling for predictable funding and continued international backing.

Beyond security, the UN said the humanitarian situation remains dire.