Photo: A rally in Brooklyn protesting against U.S. intervention in Haiti. Liberation photo.
In early September, a Facebook user posted a false claim arguing that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH were eating pets and waterfowl. This false claim turned into a national political point when Trump repeated it to 67 million people on the presidential debate stage, fueling anti-Black anti-immigrant sentiments across the United States.
Springfield has become a hotbed of xenophobic attacks which have threatened the lives of Haitian immigrant communities and their allies. Since Trump made his racist, anti-immigrant tirade on national television, the Haitian community in Springfield has been living in fear. Residents, schools, and business owners have been subject to bomb and death threats. This use of fearmongering has long been a legacy of racism and xenophobia that has perpetuated stereotypes against Haitians dating back to Haiti’s independence in 1804.
Approximately 15,000 Haitian immigrants have moved to Springfield in the past few years. Many come to Springfield seeking refuge, employment, and a stable environment to raise their families. They are faced with numerous challenges, including language barriers, increasing rents, and substandard housing. One Haitian man we spoke to pays $600 a month for his family of four to live in one room, where a hole in the ceiling pours in water when it rains. Affordable housing opportunities have diminished in Springfield as landlords have shifted towards market-based rents to reap massive profits, all while Haitian immigrants and working class families suffer.
Trump and Vance have blamed Haitian immigrants for the housing crisis in Springfield, but it is apparent that suspect management companies and predatory rent hikes are the source of these difficulties. Companies are buying up dozens of housing units and increasing rent prices, knowing that immigrant communities and other segments of the working class cannot afford to buy a home.
Right-wing politicians have similarly blamed Haitian immigrants for taking jobs and economic opportunities away from American citizens. In response to these accusations, one local business owner released a statement defending the Haitian community, which led him to receive death threats. In reality, Haitian immigrants have filled a significant gap in Springfield’s labor force. Many are hired through temporary staffing agencies to work in manufacturing, supplying, and package distribution, often without healthcare or time off.
Haitian immigrants have brought Springfield to life. In the words of one Haitian resident: “When I got here two years ago, Springfield was dead. But after a little bit, the city started to grow. You can see a lot of businesses coming up. Houses that used to be dead, owners start to repair them and people start renting them. People start paying taxes to the county and the state. We contribute. Anywhere we put our feet, we work hard.”
In the face of this bigoted and racist attack on Haitian immigrants, the Springfield community and broader state of Ohio have come together to combat anti-immigrant lies and support their neighbors. Allies seeking to show solidarity have not been deterred by death threats, nor by intimidation in the form of the fascist group Blood Tribe marching through Springfield on Sept. 28.
We will not allow racist bigots like Trump and Vance to scapegoat Haitian community members for the real challenges the U.S. working class faces. As they line their pockets with profits earned from the blood and sweat of immigrants, the Republicans and the rest of the capitalist class use immigration as a political campaign weapon. Kamala Harris vows to be even tougher on immigration than Trump by increasing border security and supporting the “strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world.”
We demand an end to racist immigration policies, destabilization of Haiti backed by U.S. imperialism, and right-wing attacks on the working class of Springfield. It is critical for us to defend our neighbors and let both Democrats and Republicans know that immigrants are welcome here!
Hands off Haiti! End the war on immigrants! And solidarity forever!
