Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages, the first Haitian American elected to the Nassau County Legislature, criticized the Trump administration for what he called discriminatory actions against Haitian individuals and culture.
Solages highlighted the deep influence of Haitian Creole culture on U.S. history, noting architectural similarities between New Orleans and northern Haiti. He also pointed to landmark moments such as Plessy v. Ferguson, which involved Louisiana’s attempt to discriminate against light-skinned Haitians riding local trains, and the contributions of Haitian soldiers during the War of 1812, including at the Battle of Savannah.
Serving as a key guide for the Haitian community in Elmont, Mimi Pierre-Johnson, director of the Elmont Cultural Center and tireless advocate for the community, said she is closely monitoring congressional efforts on temporary protected status, or TPS, hoping for meaningful progress for Haitians under the program.
Johnson is currently following a discharge petition in Congress filed by U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley. The petition, which requires 218 signatures to move forward, would force a vote on legislation designed to extend TPS for up to three years. She said the measure would give the community time to get their affairs in order, especially as a new government has taken over in Haiti and many uncertainties remain.
Without TPS, Johnson explained, many Haitians risk losing their jobs, since working papers and TPS are linked and businesses can let employees go.
Johnson also hosts a Haitian-focused radio show in Elmont in Creole, where she communicates with the community and discusses developments in Congress.
Solages criticized the federal administration’s treatment of Haitians as part of what he called “the politics of distraction,” suggesting it diverts attention from other issues, including the Epstein files.
“The Trump administration’s latest attack on Haitians is hypocritical and makes no sense,” he said. “Our Haitian brothers and sisters earn the funds they are sending home through hard work in an array of diversified fields. Their employment inherently generates essential economic activity across the United States. It is laughable that a MAGA administration, which extols limited government and personal freedom, is now trying to tell hard-working immigrants how to use their money.”
He added that “under normal standards of decency, it is unconscionable to disparage anyone for using resources they gained through hard work in furtherance of the health, safety, and wellbeing of their loved ones. Unfortunately, based upon their pattern of behavior in dealing with the Haitian diaspora, it is hardly surprising, but no less disgusting.”
