“This is definitely a concerning news for our community,” said Miguelito Jerome, who ran a Haitian radio station in Springfield. “The thought of losing TPS is weighing crazy on many of us who rely on it for safety and stability. There’s already a lot of uncertainty, and this announcement only adds to the worries.”
Jerome said this most recent order follows immigration processes coming to a halt for Springfield’s Haitians. Asylum cases, work permit applications and other legal pathways appear frozen for anyone who came to the country during the previous administration, he said.
Guerna Eugene, who runs a business in Springfield that helps Haitian residents with immigration forms and tax returns, said some people impacted have been in the country for years. Now some are being laid off jobs because they are losing work permits.
“Some of them have had the opportunity to buy homes, so what are you going to do with these people? Some of them have children here,” she said. “It hurts me to see that that’s the action the administration is taking without further thinking about the consequences of it.”
She and Rodolph Paul, community outreach worker for the Clark County Combined Health District, have a message for Springfield’s Haitians: “Don’t panic.”
“Try to do right things because you already know your status, don’t try to get in trouble, Paul said. “If you don’t have any license, don’t drive. And if you drive, don’t drink, a couple things like that. Try to avoid some issues with the government, otherwise do stuff you have to do.”
President Trump threatened the decision during his campaign when he targeted the Haitian population in Springfield after falsely saying they had been stealing and eating neighbors’ pets.
The city of Springfield has said although it is impossible to provide an exact number, based on data provided from numerous sources, such as Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Springfield City Schools, area healthcare providers and social services agencies, the total immigrant population is estimated to be approximately 12,000 to 15,000 in Clark County.
