At the end of his Sunday service in Springfield, Ohio, Rev. Reginald Silencieux, pastor of the First Haitian Evangelical church, brought his flock together for a moment of prayer. Standing beside him were the Haitian and U.S. flags and the ushers and musicians formed a circle around him as he knelt in prayer. His message struck a chord with the community that had assembled, particularly those who heeded his call to ask him for a blessing and guidance on how to best face off with what many expect to be immigration raids. The worry about this concern is fueled by President Donald Trump’s hard line on immigration and his administration’s policies regarding the program when di Haitians living in the United States can legally stay here.
After the service, Silencieux said he prayed for the people and the nation as a whole to be protected. “One thing I asked God to do was protect my people,” he said. “I prayed especially for the Haitian community and for the USA because Trump is our president. As a church, we must pray for him because he’s our political leader right now.”
The atmosphere is one of uncertainty and fear in Springfield, where about 15,000 Haitians live. But many have turned to faith for solace as they stare a looming threat of deportation in the face. Local churches have given some residents their comfort, and others have been frequenting shops selling spiritual products. Community leaders, such as Viles Dorsainvil, head of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, say anxiety is running wildly. “We are panicking,” Dorsainvil said. “They see the arrests on television in other parts of the country and don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Without naming President Donald Trump or his administration, Dorsainvil said: “The majority of immigrants in the United States of America are not criminals, they are hard working.”
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