Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith addresses Lima City Council about Haitian immigration

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(4-23-24) A recent number of Haitian immigrants settling in Lima was addressed last night by Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith at last night’s city council meeting.

Smith said—

“I’ve talked with mayors across the state, and we are all seeing an influx of Haitian immigrants. We’re finding that this is connected to temporary agencies recruiting for jobs. Many challenges faced by the immigrant community are the same challenges we face here in Lima. Regardless of race or country of origin, we believe that all people should be respected.

I’ve been talking about and working toward improving the quality and quantity of housing in our community for over five years. As we work to bring more houses online and we work toward more infill development, those are solutions to dealing with homeless issues, affordability issues and also the need for more market-rate housing.”

The Allen County Job and Family Services has indicated that 550 applicants for federal and state assistance in Ohio have been identified as Haitian and shared numbers showing an increase in requests for Haitian Creole interpreters and in the tuberculosis tests standard for new arrivals.

No word on the immigration status of the immigrants and how they were able to enter the US since Haiti is an island. Recently Haiti has been in turmoil including gangs controlling portions of the island.

Situation in Haiti grows more dire as violence escalates

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