Trump’s promise of widespread deportations won’t happen without defining a wave of new ‘illegals’ into existence.
By Anna Lekas Miller, The Progressive
Ever since Donald Trump accused the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, of “eating the dogs . . . eating the cats” of the city’s other residents, Haitians across the country have been packing their bags.
“Immigrants, Black immigrants, were the scapegoat for the [2024 Trump] campaign and the scapegoat for the election,” Guerline Jozef, the executive director and co-founder of San Diego-based Haitian Bridge Alliance, tells The Progressive. “The fact is, people who hold extreme power have come to dehumanize vulnerable communities for their political gain.”
After Trump made the debunked claim at the September presidential debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Haitian Bridge Alliance received so much hate and harassment that they had to shut down their office and pull down the hotlines that their community depends upon for support.

“We were forced to hire armed security so that we could reopen the office,” Jozef says, adding that there is now an enormous climate of fear and trauma within the community. “We can’t do any public town halls or community gatherings, because we are so afraid that attacks will continue.”
Ordinarily, the Haitian Bridge Alliance helps more than one million Haitian people across the United States navigate the immigration system and protections such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) that allow them to live and work without fear of deportation. While the Haitian community has long experienced discrimination under the U.S. immigration system—they were one of the first communities targeted under the Biden Administration—threats from neo-Nazis have pushed many to seek places where Democrats are in power. This includes cities like Boston, Massachusetts, where there is already a large Haitian population, and where Mayor Michelle Wu has promised that the city will not cooperate with immigration enforcement.
“These are people who fled Haiti, who came here seeking some kind of protection . . . . They found a new home in cities like San Diego and Springfield, Ohio,” Jozef says, adding that amid multiple political crises, Haiti is still unsafe for most to return. “Right now, they are so uncertain about what comes next for them.”
Recent Posts
Democrats Have Let Republicans Become The “Peace” Party
October 17, 2025
Take Action Now The massive disconnect between the Democratic Party’s leadership and its base is sure to have ramifications far beyond last year’s…
‘Textbook Authoritarianism’: Trump Aims IRS Criminal Division At Left-Leaning Groups, Donors
October 16, 2025
Take Action Now Reporting by the Wall Street Journal indicates the active “weaponization” of the agency to target the far-right president’s political…
Trump Knesset Speech Displays Complete U.S. Backing Of Israel
October 15, 2025
Take Action Now Trump stirred controversy in several off-script moments in his address to the Israeli Knesset, including spotlighting a top…
When Far-Right Voters Learn Wage Inequality Facts, Their Support For Policy Solutions Jumps
October 15, 2025
Take Action Now A new study of voters in the United States and five other countries finds that those on the far right become much more supportive of…