Businesses, groups see dip as deportation fears run through Flatbush’s Little Haiti 

BROOKLYN — Over the 15 years that Pierre Jean has lived in Brooklyn, his daily earnings as a taxi driver have often reflected people’s activities and movements. Last Friday, as he stood outside a florist shop along Nostrand Avenue, Jean said the $70 to $80 per day he had been earning recently dipped to well below half in the past week. That Friday, he had made only $30 by the afternoon — hardly enough to pay for gas, he said.

“Nobody’s in the streets,” said Jean, a U.S. resident of 32 years. “They’re afraid ICE will check their papers. And even with legal papers, they’re afraid ICE will deport them.”

Along the Flatbush thoroughfare Friday, several residents and business owners shared similar stories of declining business and general activity since President Donald Trump launched his widely-publicized crackdown led by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). Despite the White House’s claim that deportations target “illegal criminals,” a combination of actual arrests and unverified rumors of raids has caused many immigrants to curb their activities. 

In this Central Brooklyn neighborhood, still home to mostly Caribbean immigrants, store owners, retail workers, vendors and community advocates say people are staying away out of fear of being swept up in the ICE raids.

The manager of the Green Village Meat Market on Nostrand Avenue, I.V. – who asked to be identified by his initials for fear of retribution – said one of his three cashiers, whom he believes is Guyanese, quit on Wednesday out of fear. 

“We all have families. If it’s not you, it might be one of your family members,” said I.V., a Mexico native living in the United States legally.

I.V. said Haitians make up about 80% of his clientele and Fridays are one of the busiest days for the shop, conveniently located near the Newkirk Avenue-Little Haiti subway stop in the heart of Little Haiti.

 “Everybody’s afraid. Right now, I have two customers,” I.V. said. “It should be packed.” 

Fear reigns, despite legal status protections 

In New York’s Haitian community, as in much of the U.S., most people have legal immigration status. Still, community members say their trust in the U.S. government and in local officials’ ability to protect them in this sanctuary city is dwindling as ICE enforces Trump’s vow of mass deportations.

Arrests were made on Tuesday in Manhattan and the Bronx as part of what ICE has called “enhanced targeted operations” in major cities that began on Jan. 26 in Chicago. ICE’s X account displays hundreds of daily arrests since Trump took office Jan. 20. According to reporting by the Washington Post, Trump has directed ICE officers to increase daily arrests from the mid-hundreds to at least 1,200 to 1,500 a day.

Whether undocumented Haitians have been swept up in the raids is unknown, let alone whether any detentions have led to deportations. What is known is that most recent Haitian arrivals are living and working in the U.S.  legally through Temporary Protected Status (TPS), valid until February 2026, as well as humanitarian parole, asylum or refugee programs, or standard family reunification.

Still, with Trump threatening to revoke these protections – potentially stripping many of their legal status –  many Haitians feel particularly vulnerable. To avoid being a casualty of what Trump called “collateral arrests,” some community members and legal immigrants are opting not to work or attend regular activities. 

For those who rely on foot traffic and a bustling nightlife, the heightened sense of fear is palpable. M.L., owner of the LAM West Indian, a grocery store that specializes in tropical products, said the pandemic had already affected his business “dramatically.” After Trump’s win, sales slowed down even further. 

Owner Dolores Murat said her business offers translation services, referrals to immigration lawyers, and tax assistance for her predominantly Haitian immigrant clientele.Attendance dropped from 35 to 40 students per night to just five to seven. She also organizes ESL classes and panel discussions to connect immigrants with essential resources. 

When immigrants come here from Haiti, Murat said, “they’ve already been traumatized at home.” Their stress is compounded by moments like these when government policies shift unpredictably. 

DoDor had a seminar on deportation scheduled for the end of February. But, after the ICE raids began, dozens of voicemails left pleas on her work phone: ‘You’ve got to help us,’ she said many told her.

Murat moved the seminar to next week and added a psychologist to the roster. The fact that the previous administration provided legal status for Haitians does not calm fears, she said.

“I don’t have people who are illegal that come here to my office. They all have papers,” Murat said. “It might be temporary, but they still have it. And for the moment, it’s still good.”

“There’s a huge change in people’s fear. We’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Pascal Antoine, ESL teacher and radio station program director

“The message they are conveying about only people who have done wrong with the law –  [are being targeted by immigration officials] – that’s not resonating with everybody,” Murat continued. “They don’t trust the government.” 

Pascal Antoine, the program director at Murat’s DoDor Vibe radio station next door, offers ESL classes at DoDor. Their student body has been dropping since after the elections. From 35 to 40 people per night, they now average five to seven people. In response, they shifted classes to the weekend. 

People don’t want to go out at night, Murat said, because they don’t want to be parmi la foule, a French phrase meaning ‘in the crowd.’

Antoine said they are telling people with temporary legal status to prepare so they don’t lapse into illegal status. 

“There’s a huge change in people’s fear,” Antoine said. “We’ve never seen anything like this before.” 

The post Businesses, groups see dip as deportation fears run through Flatbush’s Little Haiti  appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Businesses, groups see dip as deportation fears run through Flatbush’s Little Haiti  was first posted on February 3, 2025 at 3:17 pm.