The other side of the Haitian "cat-eaters." They help revitalized that community. Interesting story of the good and bad. I added some excerpts.
Jobs attracted thousands of Haitians to Springfield, and employers were ecstatic. But then an immigrant driver was involved in a fatal school bus crash. And JD Vance entered the fray.
www.nytimes.com
Haitians were new to the region. During the last census, in 2020, a little more than 58,000 people lived in Springfield, a town at the crossroads of America that had fallen on hard times and shed population as opportunity slipped away. But it has changed dramatically in recent years, as a boom in manufacturing and warehouse jobs attracted a swelling wave of immigrants, mainly from Haiti. City officials estimate that as many as 20,000 Haitians have arrived, most of them since the pandemic.
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The issue has become even more politicized this year, as the presidential election campaign focuses on the record number of crossings on the southern border in 2023. So it came as no surprise that the influx of Haitians to Springfield would become a talking point for Mr. Vance.
In a speech at the National Conservatism Conference in July, he described Springfield as a town that was nearly a carbon copy of
Middletown, where he grew up, except that it had now been “overwhelmed” by Haitians who were pushing up housing costs and collecting benefits.
“And you don’t have to believe, of course, that the 20,000, at least most of the 20,000 newcomers, are bad people” to recognize it as a problem, he said.
By most accounts, the Haitians have helped revitalize Springfield.
They are assembling car engines at Honda, running vegetable-packing machines at Dole and loading boxes at distribution centers. They are paying taxes on their wages and spending money at Walmart. On Sundays they gather at churches for boisterous, joyful services in Haitian Creole.
But the speed and volume of arrivals have put pressure on housing, schools and hospitals. The community health clinic saw a 13-fold increase in Haitian patients between 2021 and 2023, from 115 to 1,500, overwhelming its staff and budget.
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By 2020, Springfield had lured food-service firms, logistics companies and a microchip maker, among others, creating an estimated 8,000 new jobs and optimism for the future.
“It was incredible to witness the transformation of our community,” said Horton Hobbs, vice president of economic development for the Greater Springfield Partnership, which executed the plan.
But soon there were not enough workers. Many young, working-age people had descended into addiction. Others shunned entry-level, rote work altogether, employers said.
Haitians who heard that the Springfield area boasted well-paying, blue-collar jobs and a low cost of living poured in, and employers were eager to hire and train the new work force.
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McGregor Metal, a family-owned business in Springfield that makes parts for cars, trucks and tractors, was short of workers after investing millions to boost production.
The business needed machine operators, forklift drivers and quality inspectors, said Jamie McGregor, the chief executive.
“The Haitians were there to fill those positions,” he said. The immigrants now comprise about 10 percent of his work force.
“They come to work every day. They don’t cause drama. They’re on time,” he said.
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Gary Durst, who buys and refurbishes distressed homes, has 400 units in his portfolio, and about 80 percent of the tenants are Haitian.
He acknowledged that some Americans have been displaced. But on many streets, newly renovated homes are giving blighted neighborhoods a face lift, he said. No longer delinquent on property tax, they pump revenue into Springfield’s coffers.
