Anxiety, frustration and fear in Little Haiti as Trump's travel ban goes into effect
The White House said the ban is an effort to protect the country from foreign terrorists and other threats to public safety.
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The new travel ban is hitting close to home for many immigrant communities, including Little Haiti, where neighbors are expressing feelings of fear and frustration.
"The American dream, that's something I’ve been dreaming since I was a kid," said community advocate Jonathan Pierre Lafleur. It's one he was able to achieve, opening up his own business in the Flatbush section known as Little Haiti after moving from Haiti seven years ago. But he worries others like him won't be able to do the same now that people from 12 countries, including Haiti, are being banned from entering the United States.
"Last week only, we had eight kids struggling with heart disease," said Lafleur. "Their life depends on coming to the states to get health care."
The White House said the ban is an effort to protect the country from foreign terrorists and other threats to public safety. Community advocates said Haitians continue to face gang violence back home and often look for safety in the United States.
Now that the travel ban is in effect, many Haitians in this community are frustrated not knowing when they’ll be able to see the friends and family again.
"I had a lot of friends who tried to come over for the summer," said Glenda Elie, one of the owners of Bon Bonbon, a popular venue where Haitians are able to find a piece of home. She said the travel ban has a lot of them in fear.
"The anxieties are very high," she said. "Kids are stressed. Parents are stressed."
The ban includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents and existing visa holders. But for many in Little Haiti, the American dream now feels like it's slipping further away.
