Hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in the U.S. are set to lose their legal status Tuesday, absent further court action.
With the date now imminent, state and local officials are preparing for the possible surge of federal immigration enforcement officers in Springfield, where several thousand Haitians reside.
Last Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine and other state leaders briefed Springfield City School District officials on related contingency and safety measures, according to an internal email Superintendent Robert Hill sent district staff last Tuesday.
“At this time, only limited verified information is available, and all decision-making authority remains entirely with the federal government,” Hill wrote over email.
But his internal email indicated enforcement could begin as soon as Wednesday, Feb. 4, and last at least one month.
A district spokesperson later said the email was not based on exact directives, writing it “was intended to describe the limits of available information and the general context discussed based on actions in cities across the nation.”
DeWine’s spokesperson said DeWine has met with local officials since 2024, including as recently as January.
Author and advocate Marjory Wentworth, a member of the Clark County Haitian Coalition, said she has been getting ready, too.
“You’d have to have your head in the sand to not know that ICE is going to come to Springfield, I mean, this administration doesn’t make an example of your town and create lies about your town,” Wentworth said. “When and how, nobody really knows.”
The uncertainty has escalated fears, she said in an interview Wednesday. “The laws keep changing, the dates keep changing,” Wentworth said.
By local estimates, over the last several years, around 15,000 immigrants from Haiti have folded into Springfield’s population, which was less than 60,000, according to 2020 census data.
Most of the population is receiving short-term protections from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to work legally in the United States as the Caribbean island endures political violence and instability.
WYSO's Samantha Sommer contributed to this story.
