Logansport Officials Say Immigrant Population Growth Is Unsustainable

Logansport is a rural city 78 miles north of Indianapolis known for its diverse, urban population of 18,000 people.

People from at least 28 countries call Logansport home with at least 27 languages spoken. The influx of new people coming to the city has some government officials speaking out believing the current growth is not sustainable.

FOX59/CBS4 went to Logansport earlier this month to get answers to viewers’ questions, including “Why are people coming to the city?” “How many are coming?” and “Is there a strain on local services?” It took weeks to get answers and we are still working to get others to respond.

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Cass County Health Department Administrator Serenity Alter told the Cass County Commissioners during their September meeting that new students are coming to Logansport Schools in large numbers.

“A lot of them are coming unaccompanied,” Alter said.

Alter sits in meetings with the new children enrolled in the school district and hears directly from the children as they describe their journey to the city.

“They fly from Haiti to Nicaragua, to Mexico, and then to the state they are flying to in the US,” she said. “Some have not seen their parents in seven years. It’s an eye-opener.”

The overall growth of school enrollment jumped by nearly 150 kids in three years. This year there are 207 Haitian students in Logansport schools, up from 14 in 2021. Logansport also has new students this year from 11 other countries including Guatemala, Cuba, Honduras and El Salvador.

“I don’t think our school system can sustain what they are doing right now,” Alter said.

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One question that nobody can answer: How many migrants have moved to Logansport in the past three years?

FOX59/CBS4’s Angela Ganote stopped by the Jehovah Jireh Haitian Market on North Street and talked with the owner to ask if he knew.

“I don’t know exactly,” he said. “Maybe more than 2,000.”

Walkens – a Haitian immigrant who owns the market – moved to Logansport four years ago from Florida. He told Ganote what brought him to the city.

“Tyson!”

Walkens was talking about the Tyson meatpacking plant in Logansport. He used to work there, but now owns the market. He said he started it because Logansport didn’t have anything for the growing Haitian population. He told Ganote that people are coming to earn a living.

“Tyson is good money,” he said. “They make good money.”

Immigrants like Walkens can come to Logansport legally with certain employment authorization documents issued to Temporary Protected Status individuals. The program is known as TPS.

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Logansport Mayor Chris Martin said he needs help now. Martin told Ganote that the biggest issue is not knowing how many immigrants have come to his city. He added that from the federal to state government nobody can tell him.

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Migrant spiritual leaders told city leaders that 5,000 Haitian immigrants have recently moved to the city, but the mayor said he has no way of verifying that number.

Martin said these numbers matter because budgets, money and services are planned using the census population of 18,000. He said he does know the growth is significant.

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Martin said two other concerns he has are a strain on the local hospital and a lack of housing.

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Logansport Memorial Hospital told FOX59/CBS4 that they are on pace for record births and more than 20,000 emergency room visits. 27% of their patients are on Medicaid, which puts a significant burden on obstetric care in Indiana.

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As for the lack of housing, the health department – including Alter – has been in homes where 20 to 25 people are living. Officials say that is not safe.

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