For Haitians in the US, World Cup Pride Comes with Fear Over Visas

In New York's Little Haiti, bars and restaurants fell silent as fans watched Haiti face Morocco on Wednesday. For 52-year-old Murielle Lodvil, the wait for Haiti to score again spanned her entire lifetime. She bought tickets for herself and her sister to watch Haiti play Brazil as a birthday gift. "The representation was really good. We're proud of our Haitian community," said her sister Barbara Albert.

At the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, Haitian flags dominated the stands before the Brazil match. The 19,000-seat stadium was nearly sold out, with thousands in wigs, jerseys, and flags. Maude Schwartz, a 58-year-old Pilates studio owner who moved from Haiti in 1990, came with her family to soak in the atmosphere. However, she noted her niece had been repeatedly denied a visa to the US, reflecting the impact of the Trump administration's travel ban imposed last year and expanded in January.

The ban also affected players: defensive midfielder Woodensky Pierre, who lives in Haiti, could not join the national team until 10 days before their opening match against Scotland on June 13. Jean-Marc, a 55-year-old former player born in the US to Haitian parents, called Haiti's participation a "momentous event" but criticized the denial of entry to a world event.

In Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood, Nadege Fleurimond opened her Haitian-Caribbean restaurant BunNan for every Haiti match, offering those priced out of the stadium a place to watch. She came to the US as a seven-year-old and said immigration uncertainty touches nearly every Haitian family she knows. "It's proof that we belong in rooms and on stages people often count us out of," she said of the team's World Cup appearance.