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The U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti, Daniel Foote, resigned effective immediately Wednesday evening. The resignation came after a statement he made, saying he “will not be associated with the United States’ inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life.”

Foote submitted his resignation to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken “with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes.”

National outrage has grown over the last week after video was released of U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback using the reigns as makeshift whips to corral Haitian refugees at the southern border.

Hundreds of Haitian migrants forced to return to Haiti

According to the Department of Homeland Security, 1,400 Haitians have been returned to Haiti since Sunday. The tiny country is still struggling with the aftermath of the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, that took the lives of an estimated 250,000 people, the assasination of President Jovenel Moise in July, and another massive earthquake in August that left over 2,000 people dead, all in the midst of the global pandemic that has crushed the island’s economy.

“The people of Haiti, mired in poverty, hostage to the terror, kidnappings, robberies and massacres of armed gangs and suffering under a corrupt government with gang alliances, simply cannot support the forced infusion of thousands of returned migrants lacking food, shelter, and money without additional, avoidable human tragedy,” Foote said in his resignation.

“The collapsed state is unable to provide security or basic services, and more refugees will fuel further desperation and crime. Surging migration to our borders will only grow as we add to Haiti’s unacceptable misery.”

 The White House has not yet released an official statement in regards to Foote’s departure.