Southwest PA News

The FBI has verified that it conducted immigration enforcement operations in the Charleroi area on Thursday in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Charleroi is infamous for an explosion in the number of Haitian immigrants into the community who were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the Biden Administration. Local sources familiar with the operation told Southwest PA News that a significant number of FBI and DHS agents, estimated at 12-15, were involved in the enforcement activities. 

A nail salon was among the targets, according to sources.

These sources also noted that an unusual and substantial amount of legal filings by Haitian immigrants had prompted federal scrutiny, especially related to temporary immigration status.

“The FBI was conducting immigration enforcement operations in the Charleroi area today in support of and alongside our partners at the Department of Homeland Security," Bradford Arick, Public Affairs Specialist for the FBI Pittsburgh, said in a statement to Southwest PA News.

Arick added that the FBI’s role is to provide assistance to DHS as part of ongoing immigration enforcement operations throughout the region.

"The FBI in Pittsburgh continues to provide investigative, technical, and analytical support to our partners at the Department of Homeland Security in their immigration operations all over the region as directed by the Attorney General," Arick said.

The move comes less than a week after the Trump administration announced it will revoke the temporary legal status for 530,000 migrants, including Haitians, who were granted TPS parole under former president Joe Biden's immigration program. 

This move, set to take effect on April 24, cuts short the two-year parole status that allowed migrants, including Haitians, to enter the U.S. legally with a sponsor. 

Haitians whose temporary status has been revoked must leave the country by August 5, or risk becoming unlawfully present if they remain.This move is part of Trump’s broader push to strengthen immigration enforcement, including an expedited removal process for deportation. 

As a result, many Haitians may be at risk of deportation unless they secure alternative legal status or protection. The decision comes at a time of heightened tension in Charleroi, a small town with a pre-migration population of just over 4,200 people in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, where nearly 2,500 Haitian immigrants have resettled under the CHNV Humanitarian Parole program.

The influx has raised concerns about the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in facilitating this resettlement. Critics have pointed to organizations like Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) Pittsburgh, which has helped resettle many Haitians, noting that these NGOs receive millions in government grants. In 2023, JFCS reported $12.5 million in revenue, with a significant portion coming from government funding for services such as housing, work and Medicaid enrollment.

Locals in Charleroi have voiced frustrations over the rapid demographic changes and what they see as a lack of input in decisions that affect their community.

Documentary makers from America 2100, who traveled to Charleroi to investigate, highlighted the sense of exclusion among longtime residents.

Charleroi resident Andy Armbruster expressed his frustration over the surge in immigration.

“I don’t blame them for coming here, I blame the people who did it,” Armbruster told filmmakers.

The issue has also attracted national attention, with critics of the CHNV program accusing the Biden administration of enabling an abuse of asylum laws.

Some argue that NGOs and their partners are profiting from the surge in immigration, creating an environment where financial interests may be prioritized over the needs of local communities.

In addition to social and economic concerns, Charleroi is grappling with public health risks. In January, a Charleroi Area High School student diagnosed with tuberculosis attended class without medical clearance, prompting alarms amid the town’s growing Haitian population.

Tuberculosis is more prevalent in Haiti, leading to heightened fears of potential transmission in the community.