Downing is also involved in immigrant business and employment efforts as part of the Haitian Coalition.
Vilès Dorsainvil, president of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, said employers have come to him with concerns related to employing a workforce at risk of deportation.
“For the (Haitian immigrants), they would normally be willing to continue to work, but the employers sometimes don’t see any future to continue to invest on some folks, or working with having some employees that are at a risk of deportation,” Dorsainvil said.
Haitian immigrants make up an estimated 10% of the workforce at McGregor Metal’s three plants, human resources manager of the Leffel Lane location Summer Garrett said Tuesday. She described them as a “dedicated workforce,” with many having been employed for several years.
The plants are not experiencing a large loss of workers, Garrett said. She estimated the Leffel Lane Campus has about 145 employees, Yellow Springs Street has about 72 and there are about 65 at the Innisfallen Avenue location.
With the work environment being more family-oriented, Garrett said she speaks with individual employees often and hears concerns from Haitian employees related to immigration changes and uncertainty.
When Haitian immigrants apply, they must provide their Social Security number and work authorization document, which includes information about the person’s status, said HR generalist at the Yellow Springs Street location Emily Bolton. This gives businesses an idea of how many their employees may be impacted by immigration changes.
KTH Parts Industries in St. Paris is planning for Trump administration immigration orders and the impacts on its workforce, Belford said. The company is not currently seeing workers leave.
“It’s all a what if, because if it doesn’t come into fruition, you have to have that idea or plan to make up for it,” Belford said.
The auto parts manufacturer employs several Haitian immigrants, many as part of their temporary program but others are permanent, Jennifer Belford, senior recruiter, said.
Dole Fresh Vegetables employs several Haitian immigrants locally, but declined to share specific information. A representative said the company does “not expect negative impacts on our ability to deliver product from Springfield.”
About the Author
