Haitian migrants in Ohio 'panicking' over mass deportations after Trump accused them of 'eating neighbors cats'

Haitian migrants person turned to religion amid the looming menace of deportation nether the presidency of Donald Trump - who accused them of eating their neighbors' pets connected the run trail.

The First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Ohio was jam-packed with parishioners connected the archetypal Sunday work since President Trump's inauguration arsenic migration raids instrumentality spot crossed the country.  

'I asked God to support my people,' Reverend Reginald Silencieux said aft the service. 

'I prayed particularly for the Haitian community, and I prayed for U.S.A. too, due to the fact that Trump is our president. As a church, we person an work to commune for him due to the fact that he's our governmental person close now.' 

The municipality was thrust into the nationalist spotlight during the statesmanlike run erstwhile Trump accused Haitians successful Springfield of eating their neighbor's cats and dogs.

Now, migrants successful the assemblage are acrophobic that they volition beryllium targeted and sent packing, arsenic Trump authorizes ICE raids crossed the nation.  

Many had travel to person a blessing and perceive guidance connected however to woody with national agents successful lawsuit of raids stemming from President Trump's crackdown connected immigration. 

Other congregants stayed location retired of fearfulness and increasing uncertainty. 

Community leaders accidental galore of Springfield's estimated 15,000 Haitians are overwhelmed by fears Trump volition extremity oregon fto expire the Temporary Protected Status programme that allows them to stay successful the U.S. legally.

'The assemblage is panicking.' Viles Dorsainvil, person of Springfield's Haitian Community Help and Support Center, told AP. 

'They spot the arrests connected TV successful different parts of the state and they don't cognize what's going to happen.

'The bulk of immigrants successful the U.S.A. are not criminals, and they're hard-working people.'  

Haitian assemblage person Jacob Payne has been guiding locals with migration forms, employment authorization cards and questions connected their TPS applications. 

'Before, we had a antithetic benignant of fearfulness - it was a fearfulness of retaliation, whether it was the acold right, the Proud Boys,' Payne said.

'Now, there's a fearfulness of deportation. That keeps a batch of radical from going retired and has caused a batch of radical to person left,' helium said.

But anti-immigrant sentiment has been connected the emergence successful Springfield aft mendacious rumors dispersed that cats and dogs were being stolen - and eaten - by Haitian migrant communities.

The rumors dispersed similar wildfire pursuing a societal media station successful September 2024 that a section feline had been mutilated and exacerbated fears successful the mostly white, blue-collar metropolis of astir 59,000.

Trump repeated the rumor, and additionally claimed dogs were besides being eaten, astatine his statement with Kamala Harris and successful the weeks that followed, schools, authorities buildings and the homes of elected officials were targeted with dozens of weaponry threats.  

One Haitian assemblage member, 50-year-old Brutus Joseph, said successful Creole done an interpreter that helium and  his woman are nary longer sleeping due to the fact that they're truthful fearful.  

'My woman and I can't adjacent slumber due to the fact that we're truthful worried,' helium said. 

'We're law-abiding citizens — each we did is to beryllium Haitian. We didn't deliberation we'd beryllium treated similar this by the (Trump) administration. I'm praying to God that the president changes his mind.'

Joseph particularly worries astir the aboriginal for his 5 children, including 1 who is simply a elder successful precocious schoolhouse successful Springfield and plans to be assemblage this year.

'If I permission here, there's nary aboriginal for my children. My children tin get raped and killed if I spell back, truthful I person everything to lose,' helium said, making an entreaty to Trump arsenic a chap household antheral who is joined to an immigrant.

Trump's 2024 run focused heavy connected amerciable immigration, often referring successful his speeches to crimes committed by migrants.

Thousands of impermanent Haitian migrants legally arrived successful Springfield successful caller years nether the TPS program, arsenic longstanding unrest successful their location state has fixed mode to convulsive gangs ruling the streets.

'Everything changed due to the fact that Trump is president. People are frightened close now. Most are staying successful their homes — they don't privation to spell outside,' said Romane Pierre, 41, who settled successful Springfield successful 2020 nether the TPS programme aft fleeing unit successful his autochthonal Haiti.

'I emotion my country, but you can't unrecorded there; it's unspeakable close now,' said Pierre, who works astatine the Rose Gaute, a fashionable Haitian edifice successful Springfield. 'So wherever bash you spell backmost to?'

The TPS, which allows him and thousands of others to stay legally successful Springfield, expires connected February 2026. He inactive hopes Trump volition support successful caput the unit successful Haiti and renew it.

'Think astir Haitians due to the fact that Haiti is not a spot to instrumentality to close now,' helium said. 'God, speech to Mr. Trump and bash thing for Haitians.'