Alabama Community Takes Action Against Exploitation of Haitian Workers

Residents in a Marshall County city are forming a non-profit organization to address the exploitation of Haitian immigrant workers in northern Alabama.

This initiative, named "Concerned About Albertville," also known as "Concerned About Alabama," emerged from a series of community meetings held earlier this month in Albertville churches.

Gerilynn Hanson, an electrical contractor in the area, and her nephew, Jeff Lamour, a businessman and Haitian immigrant living in Albertville, have voiced concerns. They believe that Haitians who have come to northern Alabama are being exploited for labor and forced to live in poor conditions.

At the last community meeting, attendees were encouraged to sign up as volunteers. The goal, according to Hanson, is to use the skills of community members to address various needs. For instance, retired teachers might assist with English as a second language training, while others could help coordinate housing.

“There are many different challenges, and everyone has their own area of expertise,” Hanson said.

The community meetings were sparked by photos shared on Facebook, showing people getting on and off charter buses in Albertville. These images led to questions about the purpose of the buses and who was using them.

News reported that Pilgrim’s Pride had chartered the buses to transport employees to and from its Russellville plant. The company later stated it would stop using charter buses. However, discussions online and at meetings shifted to focus on recent Haitian immigration and its impact on the city.

Lamour initially feared the uproar over the buses was anti-Haitian but later realized that many in Albertville were driven by a desire to help rather than fear.

“At first, I thought it was something against Haitians,” he said. “The way it started wasn’t good. But their intentions are different. We have local pastors working with them, and it seems they are genuinely trying to do the right thing by fighting human and labor trafficking.”

Hanson, Lamour, and other residents pointed out that many Haitians live in substandard housing and are being exploited by immigration sponsors despite escaping political turmoil in Haiti.

In June, the Biden administration announced a new temporary protected status for Haitians who arrived in the U.S. on or before June 3, protecting even those who entered the country illegally from deportation back to Haiti, according to news.

Immigration advocates estimate that around 500,000 Haitians in the U.S. currently have protected status.

Haiti has experienced years of political unrest and has not fully recovered from a devastating earthquake in 2010. The country hasn’t held elections since 2016, and a recent wave of violence and unrest led to the resignation of the country’s prime minister.

The Gross National Income per capita in Haiti is $1,730, with a quarter of the population living in extreme poverty on less than $1.25 per day.

Haitians fleeing their homeland can apply for refugee status, but the process can take up to two years.

“At the end of the day, most people are fleeing Haiti due to gang violence,” Lamour said. “But it seems like everyone wants to take advantage of these people.”

Hanson added that some immigrants might not be aware of the aid they can receive from the federal government, while others fear reporting poor living conditions due to the risk of deportation.

“There are all kinds of needs,” she said. “Just pick one.”