Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said officials are preparing for a potential surge in immigration enforcement when thousands of Haitians in Springfield lose their legal status overnight.
On Feb. 3, more than 500,000 Haitians nationwide are expected to lose temporary protected status, which allows immigrants from dangerous countries to stay in the United States. Springfield is home to an estimated 15,000 Haitians − about one-fourth of its population − and another 30,000 live in central Ohio.
DeWine said he doesn't know for sure whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement will send officers to Springfield after TPS expires. But he's talked with Clark County police and school district officials to plan for the possibility.
"If ICE does in fact come in, comes in with a big operation, obviously we have to work this thing through and make sure people don't get hurt," DeWine told the statehouse bureau Jan. 27.
Springfield found itself in the national spotlight during the 2024 presidential election, when President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance falsely claimed that Haitians were eating pets. DeWine has defended the Haitian community and contends the end of TPS will hurt the local economy and risk the safety of people forced to return to Haiti.
