00:00Here at Rose Go Creole, there isn't just patties and plantains on offer, they're serving a
00:09taste of home.
00:10Once you eat the food, that's the first introduction to our community, the love we put in the food.
00:17The restaurant, which opened a little over a year ago, is a sign of Springfield's growing
00:22Haitian population.
00:23They came here to escape the violence and anarchy in their home country.
00:28Most of them are legally authorized to live and work in the U.S. under a program expanded
00:34by the Biden administration.
00:37Like many blue-collar towns in the Midwest, Springfield's population had been declining
00:42for years.
00:44Marjorie Kowalewski says Haitians came here because jobs and cheap housing were plentiful.
00:50She and her daughter run a small translation and advice center for newcomers in the back
00:54room of this Haitian grocery store.
00:58The Haitian community has given new life to the community because they are active participants
01:04in the economy.
01:06But then the numbers rose quickly.
01:08Officials estimate there are now anywhere between 12 and 15,000 Haitians in Springfield.
01:15They say the city's infrastructure and public services are overwhelmed.
01:20In August of 2023, a car driven by a Haitian migrant hit a school bus, killing an 11-year-old
01:27boy and prompting even more concern from residents about the growing presence of Haitian migrants.
01:35William Monaghan is a former journalist.
01:37He helps run a Facebook group where Springfielders share their thoughts about everything from
01:42safety, the economy, to rumors of pets disappearing.
01:46Losing homes, losing jobs, just costs going up so high that you can't afford things you
01:52used to be able to afford.
01:53Mostly, above all that, it's talking about how our city government ignores our concerns
02:00and mocks us and insinuates that our concerns are rooted in some sort of misplaced racial
02:07antipathy towards Haitians.
02:09William says he's ambivalent about Trump's claims that Haitian migrants are stealing
02:14and eating pets.
02:15But at least appreciates that they have drawn national spotlight to an issue he feels has
02:20long been ignored.
02:22But for the Haitian community, Trump's comments have caused nothing but fear.
02:27Marjorie Kovaleski has been getting panicked calls for the past two weeks.
02:32They don't know what they've done because they're trying to behave themselves, do what's
02:36right and they don't know if one day the white supremacists are going to attack, they don't
02:41know if the locals are going to attack them, and especially those with children.
02:46And it's not just the Haitian community that's been affected since Donald Trump's comments.
02:51There have been dozens of bomb threats here in Springfield, forcing some schools to evacuate
02:56their students.
02:57The city has also canceled the annual culture fest.
03:03At Rose Go Creole, the debacle has had an unexpected twist.
03:08People are flocking to the restaurant to show their support.
03:11This couple from Arkansas came here to send a message.
03:15We're supporting this community today, but next week it could be a different community,
03:21targeted just for political gain.
03:24Both city and local Haitian community leaders are calling for calm.
03:29They want Springfield out of the spotlight and on a path to healing.
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