Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are leaving the city in droves, fearing deportation after President-elect Donald Trump’s election win due to his campaign promise to crack down on immigration.
Haitian families flee Springfield amid deportation fears
According to The Guardian, the Ohio city of 60,000 people saw an uptick in Haitian families leaving recently. The lack of funds and other resources is challenging for many as they figure out how to avoid mass deportation.
“Some folks don’t have credit cards or access to the internet, and they want to buy a bus ticket or a plane ticket, so we help them book a flight,” Margery Koveleski, a Springfield resident with Haitian family members who helps others flee, told The Guardian. “People are leaving.”
Many Haitian families migrated to Springfield to seek a better life than their previous circumstances. However, fears of a looming second Trump term have caused many to plan to relocate to New Jersey, Boston, Canada and other areas where they believe they would be safe.
Haitians concerned about losing “Temporary Protected Status” under Trump administration
Haitians and other immigrants have benefited from Temporary Protected Status or TPS, a program launched in 1990 that helps immigrants flee from emergencies in 16 countries to live and work in the United States for a limited time, per The Guardian. While the initiative has gained support from both parties since its inception, Haitians fear the new Trump administration could eliminate TPS and other programs for immigrants.
“There’s a fear among the Haitian community that TPS is going to end on 20 January, and I don’t think that is very likely for a number of reasons,” Katie Kersh, a senior attorney at the nonprofit law firm Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, told The Guardian.
“The strain any deportation effort would place on an already stretched immigration court system would be significant,” she added.
How did racist claims fuel fear among Haitian immigrants in Springfield?
The fearmongering and baseless claims that Haitian immigrants were terrorizing the community first began in September during a presidential debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, Blavity reported. Trump said Haitians were eating residents’ pets despite city officials denouncing those harmful rumors.
“In Springfield, they are eating the dogs,” Trump said during the debate, per the BBC. “The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating — they are eating the pets of the people that live there.”
In the months leading up to the election, Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, and other conservatives amplified racist and baseless claims, instilling fear among Haitians in Springfield. Now, many are fleeing to other areas for safety.
