Sawt Falasteen - Haiti's World Cup return lifts community in New York

In the city's Little Haiti neighborhood, the blue and orange of the Knicks basketball team -- NBA champions since Saturday -- still dominate storefronts. But locals say that will soon shift to Haiti's blue and red.

"Now the Knicks stuff is over, you'll definitely see all the Haitian colors," said Vladimir Calixte, a 42-year-old actor, who wore a Haiti flag around his neck.

It will be a welcome respite for a community that feels targeted by the Trump administration's hardline mass deportation campaign against people in the country illegally.

Haiti, plagued by political instability and gang violence, has come in for particular attention, with Trump suspending all tourist and immigration visas.

He is also looking to revoke temporary protected status, which prohibits deportations back to countries deemed dangerous, something granted to around 520,000 Haitians in the United States.

- 'Come together' -

In New York, which counts around 200,000 people either born in Haiti or of Haitian descent, the soccer team is a source of pride.

"In my shop everybody talks about this all the time," said Maelie Misidor, who runs a small corner store in the neighborhood.

"The tickets are out of price. If they were cheaper, of course I would go. But now we're gonna watch the game in the courtyard with my husband and friends," she added.

Many Haitian players are from the country's diaspora -- a makeup that reflects what many compatriots are experiencing, said Brooklyn-based Haitian artist Lyne Lucien.

"Haiti extends far beyond our actual land," she said. "Our community looks like the team, with people all over the world, and we still come together as one."

- Brazil battle -

However, the Trump administration's threat to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to World Cup stadiums has cast a chill over migrant communities.

"I feel like that's creating unnecessary fear," said Lucien, who created illustrations for FOX Sports Global Artist Series, a collaboration with FIFA.

"There's so much fear, even people who have US residency cards are afraid to go. People who have just received their citizenship are afraid to go," she added.

Haiti lost their opening match against Scotland and face tough opposition in Brazil on Friday -- a side widely supported by many Haitians in past tournaments.

"You feel more attached and close to people that look like you. So, since we couldn't play, we admired the ones that could," explained Calixte, the actor.

Sonny Etienne, a 43-year-old who was waiting for his turn at a barbershop, said it would be impossible for Haiti to win.

"Brazilians are the leaders of football, what can we do? It's too bad we have to play against them," he said.

P.Tamimi--SF-PST