Clergy Allies Haitian Migrants
FILE - Members of the Haitian community, from left, Lindsay Aime, James Fleurijean, Rose-Thamar Joseph, Harold Herard, and Viles Dorsainvil, stand for worship with Carl Ruby, pastor at Central Christian Church, in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 15, 2024.
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One grew up in rural Haiti amid the poverty and violence. The other grew up in Michigan as a self-described “blue-collar farm kid.” Both became pastors in Springfield, Ohio, sharing a goal inspired by their faith: They are supporting the city’s Haitian migrants who fear deportation under President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown. Reginald Silencieux, pastor of the First Haitian Evangelical Church, and Carl Ruby, pastor of Central Christian Church, share a mutual respect for one another. They both stood up for Haitians when Trump falsely accused Springfield’s Haitian migrants of eating their neighbors’ cats and dogs in 2024.