Charleroi Haitian immigrant population declining amid loss of jobs and uncertain future, community leader says

As of now, legal protections remain in place for Haitian immigrants in the U.S., but it's unclear whether that will still be the case in the future. This uncertainty, along with the loss of jobs, is changing the population in Charleroi, which had previously been attracting immigrants.

Jimmy Alexandre said hundreds of Haitians came to Charleroi in the past few years because there was a good chance you could get a job at a manufacturing plant and create a life for yourself. 

"There was neglected opportunities or opportunities that other people did not want," Alexandre said.

Most were legal and under protected status from the U.S. State Department for having fled the violence and hardships in their homeland. While it led Alexandre to open the Haitian Resource Center early this year, recently, he's noticed a shift.

"There's more leaving than that are coming into town," Alexandre said. 

Charleroi Borough Manager Joe Manning said the same thing. Despite having no way to calculate the loss in population, there are a few clues.

"The number one thing is job security," Alexandre said. Alexandre said the very thing that attracted Haitians to the area is now pushing them away.

Fourth Street Foods, a food processing plant, is closing at the end of the month and laying off more than 250 people. Alexandre said the company employed a number of immigrants, including from Haiti. Earlier this year, the Anchor Hocking Pyrex glass plant also closed its doors and took away another few hundred jobs.

"Everybody is trying to come up with a plan B, trying to look for other sources of jobs," Alexandre said, which can mean leaving Charleroi. 

At the same time, legal protections for immigrants are constantly changing in the courts, creating more uncertainty.

But no matter what happens, Alexandre said they'll work together with the community to help his people find their footing.

"People are resilient. Regardless of what happens, we're going to figure it out," Alexandre said.