Springfield pastors are preparing Haitian migrants for possible immigration enforcement following the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, while Republican state treasurer candidate Jay Edwards and other critics argue advocacy groups encouraged migrants to remain despite the temporary nature of the federal program.
Carl Ruby, a Springfield pastor and founder of the Haitian advocacy group G92, said he and other pastors recently met with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to discuss how the agency plans to handle Haitians who remain in Ohio after TPS protections expire. Ruby said Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted helped organize the meeting.
Ruby said ICE officials described a “carrot and stick approach” that would offer airfare and financial assistance to migrants who voluntarily leave the country while warning those who remain without legal status they could face detention and deportation.
“The carrot is we’re gonna offer them an airplane ticket. We’re gonna to offer them some money,” Ruby told WOSU. “And the stick is we’re gonna make their lives miserable.”
ICE has not confirmed that an enforcement operation is planned in Springfield or Columbus. The agency told WOSU it does not comment on future or ongoing operations.
The Department of Homeland Security is offering eligible illegal immigrants a free flight and $2,600 to voluntarily leave the United States through the CBP Home mobile application. The department said those who reject the offer could be arrested and deported without an opportunity to return legally.
“We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream,” a DHS spokesperson said. “If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
DHS said approximately 3 million illegal immigrants have either been deported or voluntarily left the country since President Donald Trump returned to office, including approximately 2.2 million who self-deported.
Edwards said the continuing violence and instability in Haiti do not change the temporary nature of the protections granted to Haitians living in the United States.
“I know there’s issues going on back home for them right now,” Edwards told NBC4. “There’s all kinds of crime and issues going on. I get that. But, you know, again, this is supposed to be a temporary program.”
TPS allows the federal government to temporarily protect foreign nationals from deportation when war, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions make returning to their home countries unsafe. Haiti originally received the designation following a devastating 2010 earthquake, but DHS has determined conditions have improved sufficiently to end the designation.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that Trump can terminate the status for Haitians and Syrians in the country and proceed with deporting them.
The State Department continues advising Americans not to travel to Haiti because of violent crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest and limited access to health care. Commercial flights from the United States to Port-au-Prince also remain suspended, while heavily armed gangs control large portions of the country.
Ruby said those conditions make voluntary departure an unrealistic option for many Haitians living in Springfield.
“I mean, how many of you would risk your lives for 2,600 bucks?” Ruby said. “I’ve talked to people in my church who have been tortured because they opposed corruption back in Haiti.”
G92 held an emergency meeting Tuesday to prepare for potential immigration enforcement and discuss how churches and local organizations could assist affected families. Ruby said some families are considering asylum applications or employer sponsorships, though he acknowledged those options can be difficult and expensive.
The group is also working with the Nehemiah Foundation to identify families who could temporarily care for children if their parents are detained or deported. The foundation recently received a grant from DeWine’s administration to support those efforts.
“This includes children who came with them,” Ruby told NBC4. “It includes children who have been born here and are American citizens. We fear for their lives if they’re sent back to Haiti.”
DeWine has repeatedly called the Trump administration’s decision to end TPS for Haitians a mistake, arguing they have filled needed jobs in Springfield’s restaurants, manufacturing facilities and health care system.
The governor said Monday that federal officials have not informed his administration of any planned ICE operation targeting Haitians in Ohio.
“I’m reading the same reports that you’re seeing, which indicates that that will be happening, but we don’t have any official word at all from ICE,” DeWine said.
Other Republicans and Springfield residents argue federal officials must enforce the program’s expiration rather than allow temporary protection to become a permanent immigration status.
Ohio-based author Joshua Lisec has also criticized the nonprofit organizations and churches assisting Springfield’s Haitian population, arguing they have encouraged migrants to remain rather than prepare for the expiration of their temporary protections.
Lisec told Ohio.News that the approach could ultimately hurt Haitians who remain without legal status by placing them at risk of deportation and potentially making it more difficult for them to legally return to the United States in the future. He also said some longtime residents believe Springfield’s political leaders and nonprofit organizations ignored their concerns as the city’s Haitian population increased.
Describing concerns he said he has heard from longtime Springfield residents, Lisec said, “They mistook our kindness for weakness.”
Terry Adkins, a lifelong Springfield resident, told NBC4 that a major enforcement operation may not be necessary if former TPS recipients begin leaving voluntarily, but said the federal government must enforce the law when they do not.
“If they’re actually leaving and getting out of here on a rapid pace, then I understand maybe no need to, you know, step to that level,” Adkins said.
Haitians who lose TPS protections would still be able to remain in the country if they have asylum claims or another valid immigration status, but those without legal authorization could face arrest and deportation.
