July 29, 2025
States like Florida have been offering assistance to Americans fulfilling humanitarian efforts in the Caribbean nation as they have been riddled in turmoil since 2021.
TAD Recovery Services, LLC, a risk management company out of Texas, is suing the Florida Division of Emergency Management for $7.5 million for its role in helping Americans evacuate a crime-riddled Haiti in 2024, CBS News reports.
The federal suit is pushing for $7,544,031.00 back payment after the company alleges the Division contacted them in March 2024 “to get involved with helping to evacuate children from the Tim Tebow Foundation in Haiti.” The relationship then transformed as the state asked the company to provide broader services to evacuate Florida natives and other Americans assisting in Haiti.
The suit was filed July 23 in the federal Northern District of Florida, describing TAD’s services as moving “materials, supplies and personnel in and out of various locations around the USA and elsewhere in the world, often on an emergency basis due to catastrophic weather situations and/or rapidly developing geopolitical conflicts.”
States like Florida have been offering assistance to Americans fulfilling humanitarian efforts in the Caribbean nation, as they have been riddled with turmoil since 2021 following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. While the country has not experienced a proper election since 2016, Prime Minister Ariel Henry took over; however, acts of gang violence have overshadowed such efforts, with gangs attacking agencies.
The issue has caused Haitians to flee their homeland to the U.S. in hopes of refuge and a haven, but Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis has put certain things in place to block those efforts. He ordered members of the Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard, Florida Highway Patrol, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to South Florida to capture any Haitians fleeing their country by sea, according to Florida Phoenix.
Prior to engaging with TAD in March 2024 for assistance, the state government opened an online portal, permitting Floridians in Haiti to register for assistance, saying they want to “do everything possible” to help. “Floridians in Haiti or their family members can fill out the questionnaire on the portal to let the state know of their immediate needs. “You can visit the portal at FloridaDisaster.Org/Haiti,” a statement from Division Director Kevin Guthrie read at the time.
“We will do everything possible to help Floridians and Americans who are in need of help in Haiti. I encourage those with needs to visit the portal today.”
A news release from April 2024 revealed 722 Americans were rescued from Haiti with assistance from TAD, but the drama for Haitian refugees continues with a battle against the Trump administration. Under President Donald Trump’s second term, the administration has threatened to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of immigrants living in the U.S. Despite a federal judge ruling to extend the protections, the Department of Homeland Security continues to push a narrative of Haiti being safe enough for refugees to return.
However, the State Department has a different notion, issuing a level four travel advisory for the country amid the turmoil. Even the United Nations has issued a report stating that the conditions in Haiti resemble the issues in the Gaza Strip.
