Washington — A group from Michigan trapped in Haiti in recent days that included Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom was rescued by helicopter overnight Tuesday in an operation organized by Florida U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, lawmakers said.
Albom was in Port-au-Prince for a monthly visit to the orphanage operated by his charity, Michigan U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain told The Detroit News. Eight of the 10 people extracted in the rescue were from Michigan, according to McClain’s office.
McClain, who represents northern Macomb County and the Thumb in Congress, said she learned about Albom’s situation Saturday from a constituent and immediately started making calls to help.
“I mean, the work he does is really good work,” McClain said of the longtime Detroit newspaper columnist, author and radio host. “But he took 10 individuals down there, and they were stuck.”
McClain, a Republican from Bruce Township, disclosed the overnight helicopter rescue mission Tuesday morning during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. She said she asked Mills to get involved because there was apparently “no plan” from the U.S. government to get out those who were stranded amid major civil unrest in Haiti.
The operation played out amid a state of emergency in Haiti after armed gangs waged violence, managed a mass prison break last week and attacked police stations, leading to the suspension of flights from the airport.
The gangs have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who announced Monday he would step down after a transitional council is set up.
Albom, in a Tuesday night statement, confirmed the evacuation of the group from the Have Faith Haiti Orphanage, which included him and his wife, saying they were “pretty grimy and exhausted” after two days of coordinated efforts and being rescued in the middle of the night from a site that was “not our orphanage.”
“Since I was the one who asked these wonderful eight other volunteers to come help at our orphanage, I felt it my obligation to get them out safely,” Albom said in a statement Tuesday, according to the Free Press.
“But my wife’s and my heart aches for the kids still there. Saying goodbye to them this time was horribly difficult. We pray for help in making their country safe for them again, and we will be back with them the moment it is possible. Our deepest thanks to everyone who sent messages and prayers for us. We were luckier than a lot of others. Please don’t forget about them.”
The State Department said it was aware of the departure of several U.S. citizens from Haiti and that it “welcomes the news whenever any U.S. citizens are reported to be brought to safety.”
“We have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance where possible,” the department said in a statement to The Detroit News. “We understand this was a private effort led by the Representative and for further information, we refer you to his office.”
Florida congressman’s role
Mills, who arranged and led the mission to get Albom and the others out to safety in the neighboring Dominican Republic, weighed in Tuesday evening on X, formerly Twitter.
“I am proud to report that my team and I were successful in evacuating and rescuing a trapped, and at risk group of Americans from ‘Have Faith Orphanage’ in Haiti last night,” Mills wrote.
Mills, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, has previously carried out missions to rescue Americans stuck in Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal and from Israel after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, including a son of U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Holland.
Over the weekend, Albom told the Michigan congresswoman that the U.S. State Department wasn’t helping him and his group get out of Haiti, and that all of the country’s ports and airports were closed, McClain said.
“He had no way out, and it’s literally a war zone over there,” McClain told The News.
McClain said she also got no immediate help from the State Department and so she phoned Mills, who had helped her when she was trying help people flee Afghanistan amid the U.S. military withdrawal in August 2021, she said.
“I said, ‘I need your help. My constituents need your help,’” McClain recalled telling Mills. “I mean, it weighed heavy on your heart.”
Mills agreed and put a crew together, securing a helicopter and pilot who flew in from the Dominican Republic and landed nearby the orphanage and got the group of adults to safely, landing back in the Dominican Republic, according to McClain. The operation was delayed when the first helicopter had mechanical problems and they had to find another, she added.
The operation was conducted overnight when most people would be sleeping in order to attract the least attention from the gangs…
Read More: Mitch Albom among Michiganians rescued from Haiti, GOP lawmakers say