With the census completed only every 10 years, Cook pointed out the numbers are lagging and do not accurately reflect the city’s current population. Estimates have varied as to how many Haitian immigrants have moved into the area, and he said efforts to achieve an exact count are difficult.
“We know that data is not current … so what we try to do is use ‘distal data’… For example, we look at the number of English Language Learners in Springfield City Schools. There were 1,500 of them in May of 2024, and roughly 60% of those were Haitian Creole speaking. Using data like that and data from Jobs and Family Services, we have estimated that there are 10-12,000 Haitian residents in Clark County.”
City officials have said 10,000 to 15,000 Haitians live in the city now.
According to Cook, Haitian immigration to Clark County began to increase in 2020, at the same time other counties and cities began to experience a similar uptick. Lima, Findlay, Columbus and Cleveland are also cited as seeing an increase in Haitian immigrants over the same time period.
The Haitians who have immigrated “are fleeing terrible conditions” in their home country, Cook observed.
“They want a better life for their families. The ones that I have encountered have been very hardworking, very grateful and resilient. They’ve had to be,” he said. “And they are very family motivated and family driven.”
A resident who spoke at the commission meeting Tuesday was critical of Cook’s report.
Glenda Bailey said he should have talked instead about “AIDS, TB and syphilis rates.” She closed by saying: “Springfield is no longer an American city. It has been forcibly turned into a Haitian city.”
Cook reviewed historical conditions of Haiti since 2010 that have helped to drive Haitians from their homes, including devastating earthquakes in 2010 and in 2021. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and unstable governments further complicated life in Haiti, and by 2021 there was ongoing civil and economic unrest. When extreme gang violence began to plague the island, a presidential assassination in 2021 and presidential resignation in 2024 added to ongoing civil strife.
Cook cited challenges Springfield faces with the influx of Haitians who have fled their country to seek refuge in the city, including the speed and volume of immigration, a lack of new or increased resources available to address refugee needs, and the language barrier.
In addition, he said, “Endemic racism exists in our community, like it does in many.”
He stressed Haitian immigrants are here legally.
“They are not ‘Illegals’ or ‘undocumented,’” he said.
Cook explained Haitians and other immigrants have several federal programs available to help with relocation, including immigration parole programs — which have nothing to do with criminal convictions — but refer instead to provisions related to their temporary status. This applies to Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.
Humanitarian Parole, which is usually granted for no more than two years, is also a federal program that enables immigrants who need to temporarily enter the country permission to do so.
Federal guidelines also permit permanent residents or citizens to bring family members into the country as part of the Haitian Family Reunification Program, Cook said.
Haiti has been designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) which applies to situations involving civil war, environmental disaster or other conditions that make return to their home nation unsafe for immigrants. All of those circumstances apply to Haiti, Cook said.
“Haitians have to apply for TPS status once they are here … it’s currently granted through February 3, 2026. It can change, it can stop or be pulled back … it is temporary,” he said. “It does not automatically lead to lawful permanent residence or a ‘green card.’ There are many eligibility factors that are considered. It’s very complex.”
While it may take months to qualify for TPS, once here, “the process for receiving an Employment Authorization Document is a much quicker process,” Cook said, and immigrants in Clark County are being employed legally by local businesses.
“Many professionals take entry level jobs while working to obtain license or credentials to practice their profession here,” Cook also said.
He added there are currently two Haitian restaurants, seven Haitian groceries or markets and one Haitian food truck authorized to operate in Clark County.
Based on conversations with social service agencies and data on border interactions, Cook believes Springfield and Clark County are now experiencing a steady to slightly decreasing rate of immigration.
Cook then turned to another factor of concern when addressing the needs of new immigrants.
“Health care in Haiti is very different,” Cook said. “We’ve estimated that less than 5% of the people in Haiti actually have health insurance … there is minimal investment and infrastructure in primary care and preventative healthcare in Haiti, less than 3% of GDP, as compared to the United States at 17% of GDP.”
He cited child and infant mortality rates and compared the two countries, noting that Infant mortality rates in Haiti per 1,000 births are nearly 44%.
“In the United States it’s around 5% for infants under the age of one,” Cook said, calling the rates in Haiti “very sobering to see.”
He added Springfield and Clark County currently records an above average infant mortality rate compared with the rest of the country, at 7%. At its peak, in 2013, Clark County recorded a 13% infant mortality rate, according to health district records, Cook said.
Child mortality rates are equally contrasting, with the U.S. recording 6% mortality per 1,000 and Haiti experiencing over 56% per 1,000.
To address health concerns of immigrants, the Clark County Combined Health District is now offering a Refugee Health Testing Clinic, providing medical screening, assessment of acute and chronic conditions, disease monitoring, mental health, oral, vision and hearing screenings, basic lab and vital signs assessments, first doses of vaccines and assistance with referrals and navigation of the health system.
“There are ways we can all work together to seek resources while respecting both new and longtime residents of Springfield,” Cook said. “Social service agencies, nonprofits, churches, government agencies, police, fire, EMS, healthcare providers, schools and all sectors of our community are working tirelessly to help support everyone who calls Clark County home. They need to hear something positive from our community.”
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