In Springfield, residents and faith leaders are anxious for their Haitian neighbors.
Temporary Protected Status for Haiti is scheduled to expire at the end of Tuesday, erasing the legal protection under which many of the city’s 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians have been living in the United States.
Pastors from across Ohio along with more than a thousand supporters filled St John Missionary Baptist Church for a faith-led rally they titled “Here We Stand."
City leaders and residents are bracing for federal agents to possibly come to Springfield to detain Haitians immigrants.
Bishop Dwayne Royster, executive director of Faith in Action, said mass deportation of Springfield’s Haitians will destabilize the city.
"When families are torn apart, schools suffer. When workers are removed, businesses suffer. When fear spreads, communities suffer. Protecting Haitian families protects Springfield," Royster said.
Also in attendance was 9-year-old Amos Ballew, who lives in Athens County with his family. He said Haitians want a good life like he has.
"They're just here to get a job and hopefully have a nice time and they shouldn't be treated any different than us," Ballew said.
Several of the city’s nonprofits and churches are collecting non-perishable items and raising money to help with basic expenses for families who lose their jobs when TPS expires.
As of last week, Ohio’s Gov. Mike DeWine said the state is getting mixed signals on what ICE deportation efforts might look like in Springfield and in other parts of the state.
