Like most cities, Springfield has immigrants of many types, but it drew Trump’s specific attention last fall because of the large Haitian population that has settled there in the past few years, most of them under some form of legal status.
Trump’s repeated false claims about Haitians eating people’s pets have subsided, but his new executive orders on immigration policy have led to concern from Haitian residents.
Local law enforcement speaks
In some states, individual counties have 287(g) agreements, which direct local law enforcement to work with the federal government to enforce federal immigration laws. Ohio has no such current agreements, as previous ones ended after cost concerns.
Springfield Police Division Chief Allison Elliot said her agency does not have any existing contracts or agreements with ICE.
“As things do evolve, people reach out and we just are trying to make sure that we have a better understanding, we want to know what to anticipate but without speculating ...” Elliott said.
With the Springfield Police Division’s current policy, anyone arrested is taken to the Clark County Jail, at which point the sheriff’s office gains custody. If there is a question as to a person’s immigration status, SPD or the sheriff’s office would then contact the Department of Homeland Security, who would handle any immigration concerns.
Clark County Sheriff Chris Clark told the News-Sun that he has had no specific communications with ICE about any kind of operations in the region. He said the agency has not given any directives on what a deputy should do when they come into contact with someone who they believe is not in the country legally.
“That’s something that we’ve been discussing on how to guide them, and we’ll make sure we’re within state and federal guidelines to make sure that we’re giving them proper instruction, and we need to talk to the prosecutors,” Clark said. “So we have not pushed anything specific out, simply because we haven’t seen anything from the federal government, so we don’t even know what the order says.”
Clark said if the sheriff’s office encounters someone who they believe is not here legally, they can make a phone call to ICE and the federal government would handle the situation from there.
“We have no idea what the federal government is doing at this point,” Clark said.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Clark County Jail had “a couple” people in custody on ICE detainers this week, Clark said, with none being of Haitian descent. The sheriff’s office has not been notified of any ICE raids.
“If they were operating in this area, I would hope they have the courtesy to at least call us and say, ‘Hey, we’re here,' ” Clark said. ”We have not heard anything ... At this point we’re not even sure what their game plan is and what our role would be with it."
Trump administration policy
Since re-entering the Oval Office, Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders and actions, including one that calls for termination of certain Humanitarian Parole programs, making specific mention of a program for Haitians. Thousands of Haitian immigrants have entered the United States legally under parole programs, before many obtained further legal status like Temporary Protected Status or asylum.
Haiti has had severe poverty and political instability for years, intensified by a series of natural disasters. In 2021, Haiti’s president was assassinated. In 2023, the U.S. ordered all non-essential personnel to leave the country. Last fall, the primary airport was closed for a month because the violent gangs that had taken over much of the country were firing at planes.
As a result of these conditions, the U.S. has renewed the Temporary Protected Status program for Haitians multiple times, most recently through Feb. 3, 2026.
Credit: NYT
Credit: NYT
But Trump has asked for a review of TPS, with his secretary of Homeland Security recently announcing the decision to end an extension for Venezuelans that Biden implemented shortly before ending his term. Trump has said he wants to end TPS for Haiti, but this would likely face legal challenges, as it did during his first term.
Trump has also lifted restrictions on where immigration enforcement can take place, revoking a policy prohibiting immigration arrests at or near places of worship, schools or other “sensitive locations.”
Legal considerations
There are two 287(g) program models — the first being the Jail Enforcement Model, which identifies or processes immigrants in the country illegally who have pending or existing criminal charges who are arrested. The second is the Warrant Service Officer program, in which ICE will train and authorize local law enforcement to act as immigration authorities, according to ICE.
These agreements can become expensive for local communities, with taxpayers bearing the cost. The federal government will pay to train officers under the agreement, but cannot cover other costs.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio on Jan. 17 sent a letter to each county sheriff in the state discouraging participation in these agreements.
“These agreements have a history of eroding public safety, imposing heavy financial burdens on localities, and leading to civil rights violations,” the organization wrote in the letter. “Indeed, over the years, many sheriffs have chosen to end their 287(g) agreements for precisely these reasons.”
Katie Kersh, senior legal attorney with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, told the News-Sun that immigrants do not have to tell police their immigration status, and police “really shouldn’t be asking about it.”
Laken Riley Act
Trump on Wednesday signed the Laken Riley Act into law, mandating the federal detention of immigrants who are in the country illegally and are charged with minor theft or shoplifting, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer and any crime leading to death or serious bodily injury, according to DHS.
The law was named for Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed by a Venezuelan immigrant in February last year. José Antonio Ibarra was sentenced to life without parole for Riley’s murder and other crimes. Trump and other Republicans have blamed former President Joe Biden for her death, as Ibarra was arrested for illegal entry in September 2022 and released to pursue his case in immigration court, according to the Associated Press. Ibarra had also previously been charged with shoplifting.
Opponents of the law have argued it strips due process rights, with an immigrant in the country illegally only needing to be accused of a crime, rather than being found guilty after court proceedings.
Kersh said the law is concerning and could lead to a “chilling effect” of victims not reporting crimes due to the immediate impact to the alleged perpetrator’s immigration status, particularly in domestic violence cases where the victim may rely on their abuser in some way.
It is also concerning in cases where the wrong person is arrested or charged, where in other situations they could be exonerated, Kersh said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
About the Author
