Before Trump campaigned on building a wall along the Mexico border, in 2014 President Danilo Medina wanted to build one across the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It’s part of the country’s decades-long pattern of xenophobia and racism against Haitians migrants. 

Around this time last year, the Dominican Republic government also started deporting Haitian pregnant women. This practice has received immediate criticism from the UN and other human right organizations. Both practices are part of a larger crackdown in the Dominican Republic that is radically pushing the boundaries of anti-immigration policies. Producer Mariana traveled to the Dominican Republic to investigate how women are being affected.

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. It was reported by Mariana Zuñiga. This version was produced by Adriana Tapia and edited by Annie Avilés. The Spanish version was released by El Hilo, a co-production between Radio Ambulante and VICE News.

VICE News Reports is produced by Sam Eagan, Sophie Kazis, Adreanna (Ay-Dree-Anna) Rodriguez and Adriana Tapia. Our senior producers are Jesse Alejandro Cottrell, Janice Llamoca and Julia Nutter. Our supervising producer is Ashley Cleek. Our associate producer is Steph Brown. Sound design and music composition by Steve Bone, Pran Bandi, and Kyle Murdock. 

Our Exec Producers are Adizah Eghan and Stephanie Kariuki.

Annie Aviles is our Executive Editor and Janet Lee is Senior Production Manager for VICE Audio. Fact Checking by Nicole Pasulka. Our theme music is by Steve Bone. Our host is Arielle Duhaime-Ross.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.