Springfield, Ohio, has been dealing with a lot lately—lockdowns, bomb threats, and rising tension in the air. For many Haitian immigrants who’ve settled in this quiet city, life is starting to feel uneasy, and some are even considering moving elsewhere. But what sparked this growing fear?
This past week, Springfield saw schools, businesses, and City Hall shuttered by a series of bomb threats. Over the weekend, two hospitals also went on lockdown. Though authorities found nothing during the sweeps, the real damage was already done.
The community is tense, especially after former President Donald Trump’s recent comments during the presidential debate, which put Springfield in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
During the debate, Trump repeated a debunked rumor that Haitian immigrants in Springfield had been abducting and eating pets.
Days later, he vowed that his mass deportation efforts would start with the Haitians in Springfield, even though many are legal residents.
For many of Springfield’s Haitian immigrants, these statements were the final straw in a long build-up of tension.
Living with Fear
Jean-Patrick Louisius, a 40-year-old Haitian immigrant, is feeling the weight of it all.
“Honestly, I don’t feel safe. It’s not good right now,” he says.
Louisius moved to Springfield four years ago with his wife and two daughters, drawn by the promise of jobs and affordable living.
He opened a small market called 509, named after Haiti’s country code. The store quickly became a go-to spot for money transfers, groceries, and even haircuts for the Haitian community.
But now, Louisius finds himself questioning whether it’s worth staying. “I’m not sure if I can stay in business because people are leaving,” he says.
His once-busy store has nearly empty shelves, stocked only with a few staples like cassava and rice.
Recently, he suffered a burglary that cost him $5,000. And just this past week, he chose not to open his store at all out of fear for his family’s safety after someone suspiciously recorded a video outside his shop.
It’s a far cry from the hopeful days when Louisius and many other Haitian immigrants first arrived.
Estimates suggest that between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitians have made Springfield their home in recent years, drawn by job opportunities and an affordable cost of living.
However, the rapid influx of immigrants has put pressure on local services—schools, healthcare, and government agencies are all feeling the strain.
Tensions escalated even further last year after a fatal accident involving a Haitian driver and a school bus claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy.
That tragedy turned the spotlight on the city’s growing Haitian community, sparking anger and anxiety among some long-time residents.
City is Divided But Community Weighs In
At a local laundromat, where conversations in Haitian Creole fill the air, Fejoans John, a 24-year-old who moved from Gonaïves, Haiti, admits he’s considered leaving Springfield for a bigger city like Dayton or Columbus. “All the publicity has caused tension between the Haitians and native Springfield population,” he says.
Joseph Melvin, a lifelong Springfield resident who works at the laundromat, says he’s seen the friction firsthand.
“Most of them are kind people, but a few are abrasive, and that makes it hard for the rest,” he admits.
While many Haitians have been warmly welcomed, there are underlying frustrations among locals over the pressure on public services and language barriers.
Vilés Dorsainvil, head of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, says the recent threats and tension are taking a toll.
“We came here to work and raise our family, but the pressure here is too much for many,” he says.
He describes how exhausting this experience has been for those who fled the instability in Haiti, only to find new challenges in the U.S.
Rising Above Racism and Tension
Denise Williams, president of Springfield’s NAACP chapter, sees this as an opportunity to bridge the gap between the long-standing Black American community and the newly arrived Haitian immigrants. “They are friendly, they are wonderful people. We have welcomed them,” she says.
Williams points out that when Mexican and Indian immigrants moved into Springfield, there was no backlash. “But all these Black people appear, and now everyone is running scared,” she says, calling out the racial undertones of the recent hostility.
The tensions have created an atmosphere where many Haitian families feel torn.
Some, like Louisius, are unsure whether to stay and continue fighting for their place in the city, while others have already left.
But despite the challenges, Dorsainvil believes most of the Haitian community will stay. “The spotlight will fade,” he says. “And we will keep moving forward.”
Still, for now, many Haitians in Springfield feel like they escaped the struggles of Haiti only to find themselves in a different kind of trouble in America.
