The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Cynthia Coan
The community platform discussion began innocently enough. A link took readers to KGUN 9 news coverage of a local citizenship swearing-in ceremony held for 49 immigrants. Encouraged to comment, numerous readers praised the 49, who had earned their citizenship by doing things “the right way.” Other readers, however, pointed out that these days doing things “the right way” often isn’t enough. Aspiring U.S. citizens around the country have shown up for their swearing in only to be pulled aside, told they can’t receive citizenship after all. Immigrants can face citizenship denial simply for coming from the “wrong country.”
I too weighed in. Conceding the need for a balance between border security and humanitarian considerations, I expressed doubt we could achieve that balance with a president who has been known to accuse Haitians, without evidence, of stealing and eating people's pets.
If the swift rebuttal that came my way is any indication, the months-old news story has left a lasting impact. Alexis Ferrell was convicted of killing and eating a cat, said my critic — proof the accusation against Haitians is justified.
Ferrell, caught committing her crime in Canton, Ohio, is a U.S. citizen who happens to be black. Even if she were Haitian, that would not prove that Haitians residing some distance away in Springfield are likewise guilty. Nonetheless, the alleged Haitian criminals paid the price for a crime they hadn’t committed. Following the false accusation against them, they began receiving death threats. They were forced to leave Springfield because they could no longer feel safe there.
My critic’s response: Haitians are undoubtedly all here illegally and therefore do not deserve to feel safe anywhere.
I thought of the Haitian couple who had had their baby baptized in my church. Upon arriving in the U.S., the family, going through proper legal channels, had received temporary protected status — something President Trump now seeks to end for people from several different countries. Barring legal intervention, TPS for Haitians is set to expire February 3, 2026.
A church member I’ll call Ana, who works with immigrants, remains hopeful the Haitian family can stay in the U.S. but nonetheless worries about what the future holds for them. Following the announcement of plans to end TPS, she paid the family a visit. When she raised the subject of TPS, the mother didn’t want to talk about it.
Our attitudes and the policies we support have a real impact on real people. Just ask any Haitian.
Typical of the mindset leading to unfounded accusations against Haitians, our current administration routinely treats immigrants from everywhere as criminals. Neither the lack of supporting evidence nor the requirement of due process, covered in the 5th Amendment to our Constitution, deters the anti-immigration administration. From El Salvador or Venezuela and accused of belonging to a gang? Protesting your innocence will get you nowhere. Off to the CECOT Salvadoran prison you go, and due process be damned.
Trump’s defenders say his harsh anti-immigration measures are a necessary evil – the only possible remedy against the Biden administration’s failure to curtail the excesses of unrestricted immigration. Yet who decides how much immigration is excessive? Should we turn that decision over to one who sees fit to raise false accusations against people and put them in danger? Should we trust the judgment of one who doesn’t feel bound by the Constitution he swore an oath to defend?
Our choice could not be clearer. If we can’t further our current immigration policy — supposedly designed to correct all wrongs, real or imagined, committed by past presidents — without resorting to false accusations and/or violating our Constitution, it is time to rethink the policy.
We can either stand by our Constitution, including the guarantee of due process, or we can give in to our fear of the “other.” We cannot do both.
If the Constitution designed to protect us all becomes dead letter, ultimately none of us — whether we’re new arrivals or boast ancestors who came over on the Mayflower — will be safe. The time to stand up for a humane immigration policy and for our Constitution is now.
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