Police officers take part in an operation on the surroundings of the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 14. (Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol)
"And we're continuing to monitor the situation closely and evaluate the demand of U.S. citizens, evaluate the overall security situation, evaluate what is feasible when it comes to commercial transportation options, what is feasible for other transportation solutions," Patel also said, emphasizing that "we have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens."
The State Department previously has said it is aware of several hundred U.S. citizens being stuck in Haiti.
Patel said people fill out the form requesting assistance for "a variety of reasons."
"Many, we assume, are in a circumstance where they are ready to fully depart the country.... Others may be more interested in just getting status updates, getting information on what avenues might be available to them," he continued. "It is hard to paint this entire population with a single stroke."
US NATIONAL SECURITY FACES MAJOR RISKS AS GANGS BATTLE FOR CONTROL OVER HAITI
Orlando, Florida, resident Abson Louis, 46, pauses in search of friends after arriving on the first evacuation flight out of Cap-Haitien, Haiti, that landed at Miami International Airport on Sunday, March 17, 2024. (Carl Juste/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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The most recent attacks have raised concerns that gang violence will not cease despite Prime Minister Ariel Henry announcing nearly a week ago that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created, a move that gangs had been demanding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
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