Haitian immigrant Daphnee Poteau came to the United States in 2023. She began working for Amazon about this time last year, beginning her career with them at an Amazon returns center in Indianapolis. Sadly, her employment came to an end June 28. Large shifts in U.S. immigration policy made the U.S. a virtual no-go zone for many workers similar to her. This isn’t just a sad anecdote — it’s the reality for many people who are pursuing a better life and more opportunity by coming to America.
Still, Amazon has been at the forefront of conducting clear and consistent communications with its employees about these impending changes. The company has provided resources for impacted workers, including information on free or low-cost legal services, access to counseling support, and other necessary assistance. As part of this initiative, Amazon hopes to hire 5,000 refugees and other forcibly displaced people by the end of 2024. This ambitious goal is indicative of their fierce desire to do right by this vulnerable population.
The current turmoil stems from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) announcement that it would end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. This program had allowed nearly every Haitian to call the U.S. home, to live and work in legal security. In making this decision, Amazon has since cost both Amazon and workers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors thousands of jobs. Poteau joined countless others in his despair. Equally devastating, several other Haitians around the country had been fired from an Amazon distribution center in Spokane, Washington after layoffs caused by the same policy shift.
Kristopher Vincent, Poteau’s husband, has been employed at Amazon’s IND8 warehouse since 2013. Nor is he unconcerned about their fiscal state. “Everything we’ve seen in the news shows they flagrantly no longer care what the laws say,” he stated. These policy changes have left Vincent and many others unable to pay their rent. They are uniquely burdened by the costs of steep immigration fees.
Amazon’s IND8 warehouse in Indianapolis boasts a significant number of Haitian employees, evidenced by the fact that some morning staff meetings are conducted in Creole. This small community has been rocked by the rapid job losses. Serge, another employee who came to the U.S. from Haiti nearly two years ago, highlighted the contributions of individuals like himself: “We’re contributors who help drive the economy.”
Despite these obstacles, Vincent remains hands-on to help Poteau while she faces her ongoing asylum-seeking process. “We’re taking it one day at a time, but it does leave me stressed that they’re going to come and try to get her, even though she does have an asylum case pending in court,” he said. This sentiment is representative of an experience of nervous trepidation of millions who are unsure about where—and even if—they have a place in the U.S.
Many employees affected by these changes assert that they have followed the law while seeking better lives for themselves and their families. Christopher Lubin, a fellow worker, voiced frustration about the situation: “We have done everything legally in this country. We haven’t committed fraud. We go to school, we work, and we pay taxes.”
Even Amazon is already feeling the pressure from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Even so, the company clearly cares about doing right by its employees as it tries to navigate this stormy period. The company proactively tells employees before doing anything that could affect them. It also ensures that they aren’t missing out on any resources they have access to.
Unfortunately, the recent job losses at Amazon highlight what an increasing number of immigrants in the United States are experiencing today. As decisions turn from humanitarian assistance to hurtful policies, millions of people are in danger of seeing their lives and livelihoods destroyed. The emotional toll those affected is evident. They endure tremendous hardship and danger in their home countries while pursuing a dream of a better life in a new, unfamiliar environment.