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COLUMBUS — On Wednesday, social media channels circulated a message supposedly posted on Reddit saying that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were spotted at Saraga International Grocery. The well-known supermarket employs immigrants, including Haitians, and carries products from other countries that’s a draw for various ethnic groups.
The rumors quickly gained traction, sparking fear in the city’s immigrant communities and prompting advocates to call and visit the store on Morse Road.
By Friday, however, the management of Saraga had firmly denied these claims, labeling them as false and potentially harmful propaganda.
“There is nothing like that, I’ve been here since 7 a.m., and nothing happened either outside or inside the store,” said Medhi El-Khatib, the store’s general manager, in an interview Friday.
“Customers are being scared by these social media rumors,” El-Khatib said. “Stop lying to people.”
This incident highlights the dangerous power of misinformation, especially in immigrant communities already facing heightened fear and vulnerability in the days after President Donald Trump signed a slew of orders aimed at deporting undocumented immigrants. Rumors like these not only disrupt businesses, but also cause panic that makes it harder for immigrants to feel safe anywhere, community members and leaders say.
“We need to keep the conversation open and remind our communities to verify the facts before jumping to conclusions,” said immigration attorney Yola Lamarre, who visited Saraga when she heard about the raids.
“Panic only works to divide us, and we need unity now more than ever,” Lamarre added.
How the rumors started
The message circulated that stoked widespread concern on Wednesday includes a link that made it seem like the original source had first posted it on Reddit. The message falsely said: “ICE has been spotted on the North Side – Morse Rd area’ and was allegedly targeting international markets like Saraga.”
The post urged community members to remain vigilant, offering to distribute “red cards” with information on immigrant rights outside the store. The message emphasized solidarity and the importance of standing up for the community, but also warned of potential raids, fueling panic among customers and local residents.
The post quickly unraveled upon closer inspection, as the claims made were found to be completely false. When viewers attempted to visit the website linked in the post for more information, the page was nonexistent.
Faked information with real consequences
As the Trump Administration pushes to expedite the widespread expulsion of migrants, advocates for immigrant rights emphasize the importance of solidarity and awareness in the face of growing uncertainty. After Wednesday’s incident, locals joined El-Khatib in speaking out against the claims.
During a visit Friday, everything appeared normal, with customers happily going about their shopping as usual. The atmosphere was lively, with a vibrant presence of Haitian shoppers making up the majority of the crowd. Many were chatting animatedly in Creole, their energy filling the aisles as they looked for yams, corn, rice, and beans, carefully checking prices to score the best deals.
Overall, the store was a warm, bustling scene, full of community spirit and familiarity.
Marine Jeudi, a frequent customer, was one of the many Haitians shopping there that day. She said it’s extremely important to check the veracity of information before allowing it to spread across the Haitian community.
“I was here yesterday, the place was peaceful. You can see that customers are coming in and out,” Jeudi told The Haitian Times on Friday.
“Pa genyen ICE operation la non, wap fe moun pe,” she added in Creole. “There’s no ICE operation here, you’re scaring people.”
Other Haitian locals stressed the dangers of relying on unverified content generated by anonymous social media users, which contributes to the manipulation of reality. Such campaigns aim to destabilize communities.
Dufresne Claude said when he heard ICE was spreading out across Columbus, some people got so scared, they ran away like people in nearby Springfield did.
“Among us immigrants here, not only the fear of deportation, it’s the fear of losing everything you have,” Claude said. “These rumors target those who are the most vulnerable and there are real-life consequences.”
The post Report of ICE raid in Columbus scared Haitians, but never happened appeared first on The Haitian Times.
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