TPS ends for Haitians today: What are concerns in Springfield | Local

A claim circulating on social media that 80% of Haitian immigrants in Springfield have either self-deported or left the city is false, according to local advocates.

While some Haitians anecdotally appear to have left the city — either to another city or state, or to another country — that does not appear to be the case for the majority, said Haitian Community Help and Support Center President Vilès Dorsainvil. He said he believes one Haitian business owner threw out a number in a news interview without having the knowledge to back it up, and some have run with it as fact.

Many Haitians are staying where they have put down roots and resources are available. Dorsainvil said he is not hearing of anyone returning to Haiti, where they would “put their lives more in danger.”

Temporary protected status for Haitians will stay in place at least through Monday, July 27. Once TPS ends, those without another status will be at risk of being detained and put into removal proceedings in immigration court. Each individual’s case has unique circumstances and everyone has legal rights to present their case.

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 25 issued a 6-3 decision stating that the Secretary of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate TPS for both Haiti and Syria is not subject to judicial review, clearing the way for the Trump administration to end TPS for both countries. SCOTUS also said that TPS recipients’ claim that the designation for Haiti was terminated due to race is unlikely to succeed in court.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the past few weeks has announced three temporary extensions on expiration dates for employment authorization documents for TPS holders while waiting for district courts to issue orders in line with the Supreme Court’s decision. The most recent order extends employment authorization through at least Monday, July 27.

Springfield G92 member Marjory Wentworth said she has heard the same claim that does not appear likely, though she has heard from people who live in areas where many Haitians live that are saying “visually, they’re just gone.”

But Wentworth said for those who have left, it’s impossible to know how many “self-deported” or left permanently for other area communities, or are staying with a loved one somewhere else.

“[ICE] knows their addresses; it’s not going to be hard to find them if that’s what the intention is,” Wentworth said.

Dorsainvil said many are “laying low” and staying home as much as possible. A volunteer network has been set up to deliver needed items like groceries to those who would rather not leave the house due to safety concerns.

Wentworth said it’s “heartbreaking” to imagine what many in the Haitian community are experiencing — the possibility of being separated from family members who have status or citizenship, potentially being returned to a dangerous country and upcoming job loss.

Many Springfield Haitians have work permits based on something other than TPS, such as a pending asylum application.

Dorsainvil said the Haitian Support Center is continuing to see Haitians seeking help, and the office is weighing whether they should close or work remotely on Monday, depending on what happens with the courts.

All the uncertainty has been “really frustrating,” he said.

With several last minute reprieves, Wentworth said it’s harder to communicate that this time is different.

“We’ve had so much of this two steps forward, one step back, [that] I can understand how people are like, ‘Well, let’s just see what happens,’” she said.