illegal immigration
It’s not just Springfield, Haitians being flown to small towns nationwide
From The Center Square
By
Haitians are not just arriving in Springfield, Ohio, but also in small rural towns nationwide as a result of several Biden-Harris administration policies.
Since fiscal 2021, more than 485,000 Haitian illegal border crossers, a record, have been reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The overwhelming majority were reported this fiscal year, nearly 216,000, compared to 48,727 in fiscal 2021.
Since fiscal 2021 through August, the majority have been apprehended at the southwest border of nearly 262,000, followed by nearly 221,000 nationwide and nearly 2,300 at the northern border, according to the data.
Additionally, since July, 205,000 Haitians have been released through the CHNV parole program, according to CBP data. Of the more than 765,000 illegal foreign nationals released into the country through the CBP One app, the top nationality is Haitian. Through these programs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also extended Temporary Permanent Status to them and granted work authorization.
All of these programs are illegal, state attorneys general who’ve sued to stop them, argue. U.S. House Republicans also cited them as among the many illegal actions Mayorkas caused them to impeach him. Mayorkas has since only expanded the programs and extended TPS.
When responding to the Haitian influx, local officials claim Haitians are there to work and are contributing to society despite claims by residents to the contrary.
The city of Springfield claims a “surge in our population over the last several years, primarily due to an influx of legal immigrants,” suggesting that Springfield “is an appealing place for many reasons including lower cost of living and available work.”
Springfield Mayor Bob Rue has said “my hands are tied in many ways” about the influx of Haitians, pointing to a designation they were given by the Biden-Harris administration. The TPS program “came from the White House and is a Homeland Security policy,” he said at a recent city commission meeting.
Springfield residents have argued the overwhelming majority of Haitians are enrolling in welfare and not working; have caused increased crime and there aren’t enough police to deal with it; and residents are being killed by Haitian drivers. Rue has expressed concerns about the dangerous driving conditions, saying, “I have almost been hit myself.”
In the last three years, Springfield’s 50,000 population has swelled by roughly 20,000. City officials claim they are there “legally” through TPS through Feb. 3, 2026.
In Sylacauga, Alabama, residents have been demanding answers about busloads of Haitians being dropped into their community. At a Sept. 5 city council meeting, City Council President Tiffany Nix shut down a meeting and made the issue about race. “We have no reason to treat people differently because of how they look,” she said. “There’s no reason for us to discuss this any further.” She also said, “I’m going to welcome anybody to Sylacauga that wants to come to Sylacauga,” 1819 News reported.
Sylacauga resident David Phillips said, “there is no way the State Department can vet these people,” adding that they were coming from a failed state and potentially dangerous.
Residents continue to speak out. At a Sept. 17 meeting, Nix said Haitians were there on 18-month visas. A meeting has also been scheduled with state and federal lawmakers.
In Coffee County, one resident claimed, “30,000 illegal aliens are scheduled to arrive in the first week of October, 1,000 of them in Baldwin County,” and that human trafficking was involved, 1819 News reported. Enterprise City Councilman Greg Padgett posted a statement on Facebook saying, “Enterprise is not a sanctuary city; No elected officials have received bribes to allow Haitians into our city; No one informed the elected officials of our city about this program, how many are here, and for what purpose – so there has been nothing covered up.” He also said they are “doing our best to obtain factual answers.”
In Charleroi, Penn., the immigrant population has grown “by over 2,000% in just the last two years,” primarily due to a Haitian influx, 11 News reported. Despite this creating a strain for the local school district, Charleroi Council Borough Manager Joe Manning told KDKA News, Haitians aren’t “a drain on our resources, they don’t cause problems. “Charleroi Council President Kristin Hopkins-Calek said their community is “steeped in a rich history of immigration,” and Haitians were making a positive contribution, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported.
Under current law, the majority of Haitians being released into the U.S. are inadmissible but have been ordered to be released by the Biden-Harris administration and given “notice to appear” documents for an immigration court hearing years into the future. The NTA states they are inadmissible, CBP officials have explained to The Center Square. Several U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security reports acknowledge their NTA inadmissible status and state their release, not removal, violates federal law established by Congress. If federal law were followed, House Republicans argue the large majority would be prohibited entry.
Many inadmissible Haitians became citizens of Mexico, Chile and other countries, living and working there for years prior to claiming asylum in the U.S., The Center Square has previously reported. Border Patrol and local Texas officials first realized this when what became 30,000 Haitians descended on Del Rio, Texas, in September 2021. Many left their passports and identifying documents – which show their citizenship was not Haitian – in Mexico, claiming they had none. The majority were released into communities nationwide, The Center Square reported.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rides an ATV along the U.S.-Mexico border wall in El Paso, Texas, on April 28, 2025. Photo: Tia Dufour / U.S. Department of Homeland Security
From The Center Square
By
New contracts to add 230 miles of barriers, nearly 400 miles of technology
Roughly $4.5 billion in contracts have been awarded to expand border wall construction, including adding advanced technological surveillance along the southwest border.
Ten new construction contracts have been awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to add hundreds of miles of Smart Wall in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
“For years, Washington talked about border security but failed to deliver. This President changed that,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said. “The Smart Wall means more miles of barriers, more technology, and more capability for our agents on the ground. This is how you take control of the border.”
Scott has championed advancing a Smart Wall border security system for years. A border security system is far more than a wall, he has told The Center Square, it’s an ecosystem.
The system encompasses steel and waterborne barriers, patrol roads, lights, cameras, advanced detection technology, including towers and aerostats, to provide Border Patrol agents with a range of tools to detect and interdict illegal activity.
CBP has published an interactive map to educate the public about the Smart Wall system. The map highlights areas of the 1,954-mile U.S.-Mexico border where wall construction has been completed, where border wall panels or waterborne barriers are under construction, where contracts have been awarded for proposed projects in the design phase or early construction, and planned construction areas that haven’t yet been awarded contracts.
Prior to Jan. 20, 2025, 702 miles of existing barriers had been constructed of primary wall and 76 miles of secondary wall, according to CBP data.
The new plan includes implementing barrier technology along 532 miles of the border where no barrier exists because of unfavorable terrain or remote location. It also includes deploying 550 miles of technology throughout previously constructed barriers, CBP says. Specific areas are also being built out in regions where contracts were previously canceled by the Biden administration.
In California, $483.5 million in taxpayer funding was awarded to BCCG Joint Venture for the Diego 1 Project to construct nine miles of new Smart Wall and 52 miles of system attributes in the San Diego Sector.
An additional $574 million was awarded to Fisher Sand & Gravel Co. for the El Centro 1 Project to construct eight miles of Smart Wall and install 63 miles of system attributes in the San Diego and El Centro sectors.
In California and Arizona, $199.5 million was awarded to Barnard Spencer Joint Venture for the Yuma 1 Project to construct 60 miles of system attributes in the Yuma Sector.
In Arizona, nearly $607 million was awarded to BCCG for the Tucson 1 Project to construct 23 miles of new secondary border wall and 66 miles of system attributes in the Tucson and Yuma sectors.
In New Mexico, $155.1 million was awarded to BCCG for the El Paso 1 Project to replace seven miles of old dilapidated barrier fencing in the Santa Teresa Area of Responsibility with a new Smart Wall. BCCG will also complete 22 miles of system attributes in the El Paso Sector in New Mexico.
Also in the El Paso Sector in New Mexico, Barnard Spencer Joint Venture was awarded nearly $579 million for the El Paso 2 Project to construct 23 miles of new Smart Wall and 81 miles of system attributes.
In the El Paso Sector in far west Texas, BCCG Joint Venture was awarded $850.4 million for the El Paso 3 Project to construct 42 miles of new primary Smart Wall, six miles of new secondary border wall and 46 miles of system attributes.
In Texas, BCCG Joint Venture was awarded $565 million for the Del Rio 1 Project to construct 22 miles of new primary Smart Wall, replace two miles of old barrier wall, and deploy 40 miles of waterborne barrier system in the Eagle Pass Area of Responsibility in the Del Rio Sector.
BCCG was also awarded $364.3 million for the Del Rio 2 Project to construct 10 miles of new primary Smart Wall, 23 miles of waterborne barrier system, and install 10 miles of system attributes in Eagle Pass.
BCCG was also awarded $96.1 million for the Rio Grande Valley Waterborne Barrier Project to deploy 17 miles of waterborne barrier in the Rio Grande River, south of Brownsville in Cameron County in the Rio Grande Valley Sector.
Another $550 million worth of contracts was also awarded to support Smart Wall construction. Additional construction and contracts are expected.
Funding for the projects comes from the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which President Donald Trump signed into law. It also includes some fiscal year 2021 border wall appropriations that were frozen during the Biden administration.
Waivers were also issued by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to expedite construction of nine miles in the San Diego Sector and 30 miles in the El Paso Sector in New Mexico. Both sectors were inundated with record high illegal traffic during the Biden administration.
Quick Hit:
The Irish government will now pay migrant families up to €10,000 if they agree to abandon asylum claims and leave the country. Officials say the program is cheaper for taxpayers than drawn-out asylum cases or costly deportations.
Key Details:
- Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan signed an order raising the “voluntary return” payout to €2,500 per individual and €10,000 per family.
- The policy targets those with questionable asylum claims who are awaiting judgment and have no criminal record.
- Ireland’s move follows similar programs in Sweden and Germany, which have seen some success in reducing asylum applications and voluntary departures.
Diving Deeper:
The Republic of Ireland is escalating its efforts to manage a surge in migration, offering financial incentives for migrants to leave. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has authorized an increase in the voluntary return grant, raising payments to €2,500 ($2,900) for individuals and €10,000 ($11,700) for families who withdraw their asylum applications and exit the country.
This nearly doubles the previous allowances of €1,500 per individual and €6,000 per family. The scheme is aimed specifically at those awaiting decisions on asylum claims, provided they have not committed crimes while residing in Ireland.
The government has argued that the payouts, while sizable, will ultimately reduce the financial strain on Irish taxpayers. According to the Department of Justice, each asylum seeker costs the state about €122,000 ($143,000) over the course of the process, covering housing, food, and various social benefits. In contrast, even large lump-sum payments are expected to be cheaper than long-term state support—or deportation flights, such as a recent €325,000 ($381,000) operation to repatriate 35 migrants to Nigeria.
Ireland’s plan is not without precedent. Sweden currently offers €5,000 ($5,900) to those who voluntarily return home, and its government is considering expanding payouts up to €30,000 ($35,000) for welfare-dependent migrants. Germany has also reported success, with more than 8,000 failed asylum seekers leaving voluntarily under its incentive program last year.
The Irish government’s decision comes amid mounting pressure over migration. Since 2006, Ireland’s migrant population has doubled to more than one million, meaning one in five residents is foreign-born. The rapid demographic shift has fueled tensions, with rising concerns over crime, wage stagnation, and social cohesion.
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