Patrick Julney speaks in a video describing the conditions in the penitentiary where he is being held.

NEW YORK --- The family of an Elizabeth, New Jersey man “unexpectedly” deported to Haiti is speaking out against the practice of sending back Haitian Americans convicted for non-immigration-related crimes. In a publicity campaign underway, they said Patrick Julney was expelled despite a pending appeal based on fear of returning to a native country filled with unrest and violence.

Julney, 38, is now being held in a Port-au-Prince jail along with scores of others unlikely to be released, given the Haitian justice system’s own travails since gangs took over its main courthouse in June.

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Larisa is a reporter for The Haitian Times covering politics, elections and education primarily. A graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, she has interned at CNBC and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. She is also a recipient of a 2021 DBEI Fellowship by Investigative Reporters & Editors. Larisa can be reached by email at larisa@haitiantimes.com or on Twitter @larisakarr.