Thousands of Haitians living in Ohio could face deportation after Supreme Court ruling
A major Supreme Court ruling on Thursday could have a big impact on immigration in Ohio.The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria.The move could subject thousands of people in the U.S. to deportation, including in Springfield, Ohio, which took the spotlight in 2024 for its large Haitian population amid an ongoing debate over immigration leading up to the presidential election.Explaining the RulingIn a 6-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the Department of Homeland Security can end Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Haitian immigrants living in the United States.According to The Associated Press, the decision overturns lower court orders and allows the Department of Homeland Security to end a program that protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries around the world. Haitian immigrants in Springfield were first granted protections in 2010 after the country was devastated by an earthquake. Protected status was extended following gang violence in the country.In 2024, it was estimated anywhere from 12,000 to 15,000 total immigrants lived in Clark County.Political Reaction Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says the Supreme Court’s ruling to allow the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria is “not in the best interest of the United States nor Ohio.””Today’s decision is a legal decision. As I have stated in the past, the policy to remove these individuals from this country is a mistake,” the governor said in a statement. “As a result of today’s ruling, the over 10,000 Haitians who have been living in Ohio (mostly in the Springfield area) legally through TPS will now be here illegally and will be subject to immediate deportation. This also means that while these Haitians were working and contributing to our community and economy yesterday, today it is now illegal to employ them.”Springfield’s Haitian population was in the national spotlight in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, when the now-president made remarks regarding rumors of people “eating the pets,” in the Ohio city located just northeast of Dayton.After the president’s remarks during the debate, and days of talk about it online, DeWine authored an op-ed in the New York Times, saying the city “has a rich history of providing refuge for the oppressed and being a place of opportunity.”Former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running to return to the U.S. Senate in November, also shared a statement on the ruling, calling it “devastating.””Today’s ruling is wrong and a devastating blow to thousands of families who have built their lives here, working, paying taxes, and contributing to Ohio’s communities. I agree with Governor DeWine and the majority of Ohioans who recognize that the Haitian community plays a key role in helping our local economies thrive. As the cost of gas, groceries, and utilities continue to soar, we should be focused on increasing economic opportunity for all Ohioans, not setting working families back further,” Brown said. Community FearsThe high court’s decision has left Springfield’s Haitian community and immigrant support groups grappling with uncertainty. Marjory Wentworth, a member of Springfield-based G-92, which references the biblical call to welcome strangers, shared her reaction.”We’ve been under this: prepare for the worst, hope for the best. And now it’s the worst,” Wentworth said.Wentworth noted that the approximately 12,000 Haitians living in Springfield could be deported following the ruling. She also expressed concerns about the possibility of federal immigration agents arriving in force and dramatically altering the city’s makeup.”I know that people are afraid. They don’t know what it’s going to look like,” Wentworth said.Denise Williams, president of the Springfield NAACP, voiced her worries about the broader implications for minority groups in the area. Williams expressed concern for Haitian families who may be forced to return to Haiti, a country the U.S. State Department advises Americans not to visit due to safety concerns.”I was told by my friend, my Haitian friend, that should they go back there, they may be decapitated. They may be killed. Anything could happen,” Williams said.For many families in Springfield, the biggest question remains what happens next for those who have become integral to the community.
A major Supreme Court ruling on Thursday could have a big impact on immigration in Ohio.
The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria.
The move could subject thousands of people in the U.S. to deportation, including in Springfield, Ohio, which took the spotlight in 2024 for its large Haitian population amid an ongoing debate over immigration leading up to the presidential election.
Explaining the Ruling
In a 6-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the Department of Homeland Security can end Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Haitian immigrants living in the United States.
According to The Associated Press, the decision overturns lower court orders and allows the Department of Homeland Security to end a program that protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries around the world.
Haitian immigrants in Springfield were first granted protections in 2010 after the country was devastated by an earthquake. Protected status was extended following gang violence in the country.
In 2024, it was estimated anywhere from 12,000 to 15,000 total immigrants lived in Clark County.
Political Reaction
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says the Supreme Court’s ruling to allow the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria is “not in the best interest of the United States nor Ohio.”
“Today’s decision is a legal decision. As I have stated in the past, the policy to remove these individuals from this country is a mistake,” the governor said in a statement. “As a result of today’s ruling, the over 10,000 Haitians who have been living in Ohio (mostly in the Springfield area) legally through TPS will now be here illegally and will be subject to immediate deportation. This also means that while these Haitians were working and contributing to our community and economy yesterday, today it is now illegal to employ them.”
Springfield’s Haitian population was in the national spotlight in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, when the now-president made remarks regarding rumors of people “eating the pets,” in the Ohio city located just northeast of Dayton.
After the president’s remarks during the debate, and days of talk about it online, DeWine authored an op-ed in the New York Times, saying the city “has a rich history of providing refuge for the oppressed and being a place of opportunity.”
Former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running to return to the U.S. Senate in November, also shared a statement on the ruling, calling it “devastating.”
“Today’s ruling is wrong and a devastating blow to thousands of families who have built their lives here, working, paying taxes, and contributing to Ohio’s communities. I agree with Governor DeWine and the majority of Ohioans who recognize that the Haitian community plays a key role in helping our local economies thrive. As the cost of gas, groceries, and utilities continue to soar, we should be focused on increasing economic opportunity for all Ohioans, not setting working families back further,” Brown said.
Community Fears
The high court’s decision has left Springfield’s Haitian community and immigrant support groups grappling with uncertainty. Marjory Wentworth, a member of Springfield-based G-92, which references the biblical call to welcome strangers, shared her reaction.
“We’ve been under this: prepare for the worst, hope for the best. And now it’s the worst,” Wentworth said.
Wentworth noted that the approximately 12,000 Haitians living in Springfield could be deported following the ruling. She also expressed concerns about the possibility of federal immigration agents arriving in force and dramatically altering the city’s makeup.
“I know that people are afraid. They don’t know what it’s going to look like,” Wentworth said.
Denise Williams, president of the Springfield NAACP, voiced her worries about the broader implications for minority groups in the area. Williams expressed concern for Haitian families who may be forced to return to Haiti, a country the U.S. State Department advises Americans not to visit due to safety concerns.
“I was told by my friend, my Haitian friend, that should they go back there, they may be decapitated. They may be killed. Anything could happen,” Williams said.
For many families in Springfield, the biggest question remains what happens next for those who have become integral to the community.