Immigrants in Charleroi face uncertainty after Trump’s victory

Augusta “Queen” Goll, a Liberian immigrant and owner of Queen’s Market in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, was thrilled that President-elect Donald Trump’s voice weakened when she heard him disparage Haitian immigrants on the presidential debate stage in September. Shortly thereafter, he targeted Haitians in her compact town – her main clientele. As his lies plagued him for weeks, Goll, a Republican, decided she would vote across the aisle for Vice President Kamala Harris.

However, Goll, 43, changed her mind at the last minute and instead voted for the Republican Party candidate, a decision shared by the majority of Washington County voters.

» READ MORE: Immigrants revitalized petite Charleroi. Then Donald Trump’s attacks brought in white supremacists and conservative influencers.

“I couldn’t do that to Trump,” she said. “I couldn’t direct that vote to the Democrats. I couldn’t.

Despite his loyalty to the president-elect, Goll remains troubled by his comments about Haitians.

“I will always side with immigrants because I am an immigrant,” she said, adding that she hopes Trump will prioritize the economy over tough immigration proposals, which she thinks may just be campaign rhetoric.

“I leave it to God,” she said. “There’s nothing I can do for now. “I know for sure that there is a greater percentage in my heart that Trump wants very good for the country.”

It is too early to determine whether Trump’s promise to deport Haitians currently under Temporary Protected Status will come true. But in the meantime, Charleroi continues to feel the fallout from its comments about the immigrant community, and the KKK flyer and white supremacist stickers that followed. Joe Manning, Charleroi’s borough manager, said the FBI was expected to attend a Pennsylvania Community Relations event on discrimination in the city, and a Catholic Church delegation planned to visit the community.

But in many ways, the community has simply gone quiet since Trump singled out the city in September. The day after the elections it was even calmer.

Luciano Janvier, 41, a PennWest University graduate, was focused on homework that morning at home.

Janvier is Haitian and lives under Temporary Protected Immigration Status, which Trump has promised to end for Haitians. Psychologist Janvier said he was concerned about Trump returning to the White House because of such threats against Haitians, but he also understood why people were reluctant to vote for Harris, especially because of concerns about wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

» READ MORE: Donald Trump wants to revoke Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. What would this mean for Pennsylvania?

Dressed in sweatpants and a Steelers T-shirt, Janvier sat on the porch last Wednesday one of the few people outside.

How Janvier spoke to The Inquirer, a neighbor, 53-year-old Richard Burgess, came to take out the trash. The two men greeted each other. They explained that they had neighborly relations; Burgess helped Janvier repair a flat tire at one point, even though he was recovering from knee surgery.

“He put his knee on the ground to fix my tire,” Janvier said. “It’s a big deal for me.”

Burgess, a Trump supporter with large American flags hanging from his front porch, worked in coal mines and delivered products for Amazon. Now he is on disability.

“I help him, he helps me, there doesn’t have to be this damn fight,” Burgess said.

Burgess, like other Trump supporters, said he doesn’t agree with everything Trump says, but supports the president-elect’s policies and believes they are good for the economy.

Burgess said his street “used to be full of elderly white people” and had “changed a lot.” He said immigrants don’t bother him, but some older residents are confused and concerned about “many adolescent men of fighting age,” citing stories they hear about an “invasion” of the country.

“People don’t know if one day they will turn against you, start fighting with you, like a civil war,” he added.

But locals who have such concerns don’t talk to or get to know immigrants the way he does, Burgess said.

“If you are good to me, I will be good to you,” he added.

“It’s the election result… and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

On a rainy evening after the election, Getro Bernabe, a liaison for Charleroi’s immigrant community, found himself at the city’s main shopping mall for a film screening hosted by the Pittsburgh-based organization Haiti Friends.

Handful people, none of whom appeared to be part of the local Haitian community, followed Bernabe, But most of the seats remained empty.

Bernabe, Janvier and other local Haitians leaders advised members of their community to keep a low profile in hopes of easing tensions. Many people in Haiti the community continues to worry about its future in Charleroi – and across the United States. But they also say there’s little they can do except watch and wait – said Bernabe.

“They kind of accept it,” he said. “It’s the result of the election… and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

Manning, the borough manager, said many events involving immigrants were canceled in the weeks before the election, including a street cleanup and a soccer game. Immigrant families kept their children at home during this year’s Halloween celebrations, he said, a stark contrast to celebrations that immigrants held earlier this year on July 4, where a band from Haiti also performed.

“I don’t know if things will get worse after the election result or if they will stay the same,” Manning said of Haitians remaining at home. “I suppose, given all the rhetoric leading up to Election Day, that theirs the fear has probably doubled now that what has happened has happened and they are afraid of being deported or imprisoned… that’s some pretty strong rhetoric.”

After waking up to the news of Trump’s victory, Manning said yes he walked through the city and no one told him a word about the results, except for one person who expressed satisfaction that the elections were over.