(12-6-25) The temporary protected status for Springfield’s Haitian population will end on February 3rd.

ALERT: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has terminated Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and TPS benefits will no longer be in effect starting at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2026. Additional information is available in the Federal Register notice.

The Springfield NAACP held a recent town hall so citizens could ask questions about what will happen.

WHIO TV You Tube Video

Springfield City leaders say Haitians living in the city could risk deportation.

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue says that this is a serious issue facing the community.

“Springfield will not agree with this issue. We will continue to advocate for the safety of our citizens and every individual that’s been here in our community, no matter how they got here, because it’s a human being issue.”

Here is a recap of the meeting from an individual who posted on Facebook who attended—-

The NAACP in Springfield sponsored an event last (Thursday) night (12/4) called, starkly, “Preparation for Mass Deportation,” ahead of the expiration date (on Feb 3) for the TPS status of the Haitian population. I went. This is what kept me up last night and woke me up this morning: the message from the head of St. Vincent de Paul’s, which coordinates a lot of aid programs of all sorts for poor people in Springfield, Including working with ABLE on legal support for immigrant workers.

She said (my notes):
—we are facing a child custodial crisis! Immigrant parents of legal citizens are already getting deported. The children are being left with no legal guardianship.

  • St VdP were able to ascertain that there are 1,300 American children born from Haitian TPS parents in Springfield who may be deported on Feb 3 — age 0-4. The numbers are up beyond that now plus other nationalities and many many more up to age 18.
  • there are just 17 [i swear this is what she said. Maybe this is how many are available?] foster families—total!— in Springfield.
  • just in the last two days St VdP has dealt with 9 US citizen kids in Spfld whose parents have been deported already
  • Normally immigrant families have not needed food aid. Mostly they have needed help with legal papers, ESL, employment issues. That is no longer true (because work visas were canceled, as Melinda notes below). Since July St. VdP is has had 300+ additional families needing food every week.
  • There was also a palpable fear that anyone, Black and Brown people especially could be swept up in the dragnet and wind up who knows where. That people desperately need the protection of local and state people, officials and regular citizens, from our federal government.

I will put links of where to help in the comments.

An immediate action Ohioans can take: write to oppose these two bills:

  • —Ohio House Bill HB26 (mandate deputizing local officers to help with deportations
    —Senate SB172 (ability to arrest without a warrant! In court, schools, public places in Ohio?)
  • One helpful thing: both of these bills are in the House Public Safety Committee right now (the Senate Bill having passed the Senate and moved to the House and then to the House Pub Safety Committee, the House Bill having only been introduced and sent to the same committee). Bernie Willis is the Springfield rep on that committee. He can stop or slow them down.

NAACP 3201
TOWN HALL:
Preparation for
Mass Deportations

Join President Denise Williams, NAACP 3201, Pastor Carl Ruby, Central Christian Church, Ohio Govenor DeWine’s team and  prominent speakers to discuss mass deportations in Springfield, Ohio

WHEN: THURSDAY | DEC 4, 2025 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM

WHERE: ST. JOHN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
34 W Pleasant St., Springfield, OH 45506

SECURITY WILL BE PRESENT

Carl Ruby, pastor of Central Christian Church in an Africannews story…

“It would be an absolute disaster if we lost 10,000 of our best workers overnight. If TPS ends, we’ll stand with them by going to ICE appointments and, if needed, providing physical shelter. Some churches are even prepared to offer sanctuary.”