North Palm Beach Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On April 13, 2023 , Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) released the following statement on reports that Abigail and Jean-Dickens Toussaint returned home to Tamarac.

“After several weeks overseas, I am thrilled to report Abigail and Jean-Dickens Toussaint are back home safe and sound in Tamarac, and have been reunited with their loved ones,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus McCormick. “I thank the U.S. Department of State and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for working night and day to bring the Toussaints home. I hope that the Toussaint family can begin the healing process following their horrific kidnapping in Haiti and that they can take comfort in the fact that all of us across South Florida were praying for their safe and swift return.”

“As we celebrate, we must also recognize the urgent need for an international task force to address Haiti’s security and humanitarian crises, a grave concern I raised to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken in December. Since then, my office has consistently worked to elevate this issue and ensure it remains a top global priority for the Administration. Political instability and gang violence have plagued the country in the wake of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, and a coordinated response is desperately warranted before other citizens, Haitian or American, find themselves in harm’s way. This kidnapping of two U.S. citizens serves as a reminder that Haiti’s insecurity impacts us here at home. I will continue to work with the Administration on solutions that restore Haiti’s control and end this terror,” added Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick.

In addition to the December 2022 letter to President Biden and Secretary Blinken, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick, the first Haitian American Democrat to be elected to Congress and a permanent member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, recently introduced H.R. 1684, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Act of 2023, with Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY). The legislation — which was reported favorably out of committee — would ensure that Congress receives regular reports on the role that the Haitian economic and political elite play in masterminding and providing support for Haitian gangs. The legislation is supported by Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael T. McCaul (R-TX) and Representative Maria Salazar (R-FL), Chairwoman of the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy Subcommittee.

Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick spoke with Pastor Pierre, the father of Abigail Toussaint, to welcome the couple home.

Original source can be found here.