How Haitian Immigrants Contributed to Springfield’s Growth
Rose Joseph and Banal Oreus took different journeys from Haiti to Springfield, a struggling Midwestern industrial city that has recently found itself at the center of the U.S. presidential race. Joseph arrived in 2022, having first landed in Florida two years earlier to escape violence in Haiti. Upon hearing about job opportunities, she made her way north. Oreus, on the other hand, had a more circuitous route, spending eight years traveling through Brazil, Portugal, and Mexico before settling in Springfield in 2023, drawn by family and friends already living there.
Joseph, now an Amazon warehouse worker who also does seasonal tax preparation, explained that her primary motivation was job opportunities. Her arrival, along with that of Oreus and up to 15,000 other Haitian immigrants in the past three years, has significantly impacted Springfield, a city of 58,000, offering both signs of economic revival and challenges. The influx of new residents has unexpectedly positioned Springfield at the forefront of the national debate on immigration, the economy, and race. Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have perpetuated false claims about crimes and misconduct involving Haitian immigrants, despite local police and officials disputing these accusations.
Data indicates that Springfield has experienced notable changes due to the recent population surge. Medicaid and federal food assistance enrollments have increased, as have rents and vehicle accidents. Notably, a tragic incident last year involved a Haitian driver without a U.S. license crashing into a school bus, resulting in the death of 11-year-old Aiden Clark and injuries to 26 other children. The availability of affordable housing vouchers has decreased as landlords have adjusted to rising demand, putting additional strain on existing residents.
However, interviews with local officials and police data reveal no significant rise in violent or property crime. Instead, wages have seen an increase, though they have recently slowed as the national labor market cools. Vance, in a July congressional hearing, cited Springfield as an example of how immigration might affect housing costs and wages, but Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested that while localized effects might be apparent, the overall impact of increased labor supply has been beneficial for the economy and inflation.
Despite some growing pains and the rise of local tensions—evidenced by ugly rhetoric at city commission meetings and a white supremacist march—Springfield is beginning to see positive signs. Local rents, though they surged briefly, have started to stabilize. Wages have grown more robustly than national averages over the past two years, though the pace has now slowed. The city is also witnessing new investments in housing and commercial real estate, including new residential developments and revitalization projects downtown.
Local leaders, including Mayor Rob Rue, acknowledge the challenges but also see potential benefits in the growing population. Springfield’s history of industrial decline makes the arrival of a new workforce especially significant. The city’s need for workers to fill jobs in manufacturing and distribution centers has been met, in part, by the new Haitian immigrants who are contributing to the local economy and community.
Joseph, who helps at a Haitian cultural center and continues her social work studies, and Oreus, who works at a local manufacturer and assists new immigrants, are among many who have come to Springfield seeking better opportunities. Their experiences highlight the complex impact of rapid immigration on a city in transition, underscoring both the challenges and opportunities presented by this demographic shift.
