Since Trump and JD Vance spread racist rumors now over a year ago about Haitian people in Springfield, Ohio eating people’s pets, the terror has never stopped. Both Haitian people and those who seek to help the Haitian community in Springfield have been targeted with bomb threats, ICE raids, TikTok rumors alleging human trafficking by aid organizations, and the list goes on and on.
Threatened by the ending of TPS (Temporary Protected Status), which has now been delayed due to a lawsuit currently working its way through the judicial system, the Haitians of Springfield Ohio were mostly welcomed with open arms by a city struggling with shrinkage of its population and workforce, and with the understanding that for many a return to Haiti could be a death sentence. Churches and their clergy helped set up infrastructure to welcome the newcomers into their city, and business owners, neighbors and local politicians sought to meet the needs of people who caused their city to grow and jobs to be filled.
Yet the threat of ending TPS along with the racial terror fueled by the Trump administration has not only threatened the Haitian community in Springfield, but it has rippled out, with bomb threats being called in to local synagogues, churches, and even municipal buildings. Those with TPS have had their drivers licenses expire even though the TPS lawsuit has not been settled yet. And community members have been aiding the Haitian community in getting U.S. passports for their children who have been born in Springfield, for fear that ICE raids could happen at any moment and children could be left without guardians.
This story feels especially notable during Black History Month, and at a time when we are also acutely aware of the conspiracy theories being spread about Somali immigrants in Minneapolis. We know this is how white supremacy works: it feeds on fear, misinformation, and racism to attack our most vulnerable neighbors. Take Action for Haitian immigrants in the U.S.: Donate your airline miles, translation services, or just follow the Haitian Bridge Alliance’s social media page.
(Taken from an email sent to me by Never Again Action.)