The shift from the bustling streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to the small city of Albertville, Alabama, presented significant challenges for 22-year-old Sarah Jacques. However, after a year of adjustment, she found her footing in the quieter lifestyle. Jacques secured a job at a manufacturing plant that produces car seats, connected with a Creole-language church, and learned to appreciate the safety and simplicity of life in Alabama, especially after the political instability and violence that marked her home country.
Recently, though, misinformation spread by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate about Haitian migrants has created new challenges for Jacques. They falsely claimed that these migrants were causing crime and even eating pets. Jacques noted a shift in local attitudes: When I first got here, people would wave and greet us, but now it feels different, she expressed in Creole through a translator. People look at us quietly or with fear.
In response to this rising tension, a bipartisan coalition of religious leaders, law enforcement, and residents across Alabama is working to support the integration of the Haitian community in small towns. As violence and political unrest continue in Haiti, many Haitian migrants have taken advantage of a program launched by President Joe Biden in 2023. This initiative allows the U.S. to accept up to 30,000 people a month from countries including Haiti, offering work permits and potentially enabling 300,000 Haitians to stay in the U.S. until at least February 2026.
According to census data, there were 2,370 individuals of Haitian descent in Alabama in 2023, but the exact number of new arrivals since the program began is unclear. Albertville has experienced a growing migrant population over the past three decades, with executive assistant to the mayor Robin Lathan noting an increase in Haitian residents recently, though specific numbers are not tracked. In the last school year, 34% of Albertville’s 5,800 students were learning English as a second language, a rise from 17% in 2017.
Tensions flared in August when a Facebook post showing workers arriving at a poultry plant sparked speculation that the plant was hiring undocumented immigrants. However, the plant confirmed that all its employees were legally authorized to work in the U.S. This controversy led to a public meeting where some residents expressed their concerns about the federal program that allows Haitians to work legally and made derogatory comments about the newcomers.
For 27-year-old Unique Dunson, a lifelong resident of Albertville, these reactions were all too familiar. Whenever we see a new influx of people who aren’t white, it seems there’s a problem, she said. Dunson operates a store providing free supplies to the community and has put up billboards around town that read, in multiple languages, Welcome neighbor, glad you came, as a counter to the negative sentiments towards migrants.
Pastor John Pierre-Charles, who founded a Creole-language church in Albertville, reflected on the growth of his congregation from just seven members in 2010 to about 300 today. He is expanding his church to include classrooms for English and driver’s education, as well as a podcast studio to serve the growing community. However, he described the past few months as the most challenging period for Haitians in Albertville, with many feeling anxious about their future and fearful of being sent back to Haiti.
In response to the community’s needs, Pierre-Charles has reached out to city leaders for more resources to support housing and food for the Haitian population. I want to be a bridge, he said, highlighting his efforts to foster understanding.
Gerilynn Hanson, a 54-year-old electrical contractor and Trump supporter, initially organized community meetings to address residents’ concerns about migration. Now, she is focusing on building relationships and has collaborated with Pierre-Charles and other leaders to establish a nonprofit aimed at providing stable housing and English classes.
We can look at what happened in Springfield and see it happening here in a year, Hanson warned, referencing the hostility faced by migrants in Ohio. We can either let things unfold or actively work towards creating a productive community where everyone can communicate.
This dialogue is unfolding across Alabama, even in towns where Haitian residents are a small minority. In Sylacauga, for instance, officials noted only 60 Haitians in a population of about 12,000, yet concerns about migration remain prevalent. Similarly, in Enterprise, a recent event drew a large crowd of residents eager for answers about the implications of the growing Haitian population.
James Wright, chief of the Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe, empathized with the reasons behind Haitian migration but expressed concern about potential shifts in local culture and values. Other attendees shared fears and misinformation, labeling Haitian migrants as lawless and dangerous.
Despite these sentiments, Enterprise police Chief Michael Moore reported that his department has not seen a corresponding increase in crime related to the growing Haitian population. I think many attendees were more concerned about the fearmongering than the migrants themselves, he stated, reassuring the community with data showing no significant uptick in crime. Some people may disagree with my perspective because it contradicts their beliefs, but those are the facts.