3 Facts Vs. 1 Lie About Haitian Immigrants

3 Facts Vs. 1 Lie About Haitian Immigrants

By Josh Leach on September 13, 2024

Donald Trump sent more than one jaw sagging in disbelief, during the presidential debate on Tuesday night, when he made a particularly bizarre comment about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. "They're eating the cats!" he cried, in a moment that swiftly went viral (though not for the reasons Trump intended).

Fact-checkers in the media were quick to debunk the story (which Trump's running-mate J.D. Vance had also amplified earlier in the week). City officials in Springfield confirmed there was zero evidence to support Trump's claim. Trump and Vance appear to have picked up the rumor not from any local media or police reports, but from anonymous online posts tied to Neo-Nazi social media accounts (oof!).

But instead of devoting still more oxygen to Trump's ridiculous falsehood-what if we discussed a few things that are actually true about Haitian immigrants, for a change?

Fact #1: Haitian Immigrants Help U.S. Communities, Including Springfield

Study after study has shown that immigration is good for everyone in the country, including U.S.-born citizens. This is true of Springfield as of other cities across the nation. Contrary to the dystopian portrait Trump and Vance are painting of the town, Haitian newcomers have actually helped revitalize Springfield. Here, as across the United States, immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers have spurred economic growth and built thriving, culturally-rich communities.

As UUSC's partners at the Haitian Bridge Alliance recently affirmed, "Haitian immigrants have been an asset to Springfield [….] Haitians, like all immigrants, contribute positively to the cultural and economic fabric of this nation[.]"

Perhaps that is why some non-Haitian Springfield residents are speaking out against the lies being spread against their neighbors. Nathan Clark, the father of a child who died in a tragic school bus accident in Springfield last year, recently called on right-wing politicians and pundits to stop using his son's name to promote false narratives and anti-Haitian vitriol. "Don't spin this towards hate," he urged.

Fact #2: Haitian Immigrants Have a Right to Be in the U.S.

Despite what you are likely to hear from right-wing media, Haitian immigrants actually have permission to live and work in the United States. Some have work authorization through Temporary Protected Status-a federal program that shields immigrants from deportation to places experiencing a humanitarian emergency (as Haiti is right now). Others are applying for asylum and have status to work in the United States while they wait for their court date; or they have parole because they were sponsored to come here by a U.S. citizen.

In any of these cases, Haitians have a recognized legal basis to be in the United States. Under international rules that the United States has agreed to uphold, people have the right to seek protection in other countries when they have legitimate reason to fear for their safety in their home country. Which brings us to:

Fact #3: Haitian Immigrants Have Good Reason to Be in the United States

Many Haitian immigrants are not in the United States by choice. Haiti is in the midst of a grave public safety crisis, forcing many people to leave the country in order to survive and protect their families. The U.S. government has played a role in creating this crisis, through its long history of interfering with Haitian democracy (including by enabling a series of authoritarian leaders to destabilize Haitian society).

If someone's house is on fire, most people would not blame them for leaving the building! Especially if our government helped light the fire, maybe we should approach the situation with some moral humility…

None of these facts is likely to matter to Trump or Vance, of course. They are promoting these bogus rumors not because they think they're true-but because spreading derogatory myths about immigrants is a classic method for pitting communities against each other and thereby rendering them powerless. As the Haitian Bridge Alliance put it: "[S]uch divisive rhetoric serves only to inflame tensions and distract from meaningful dialogue about the real issues facing our communities."

Let's not be distracted by Trump's one ugly lie from other much more important truths: namely, that all our communities are enriched when people have the right to migrate and reach safety.

Image credit: Shutterstock (Teddy xD)

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