Haitian Detentions Surge in Ohio After Protected Status Ends

Nearly 75 Haitians living in Ohio have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at four state detention facilities since President Trump ended their legal protected status on July 27, marking a 142.3% increase, according to a recent report by the Ohio Immigrant Alliance.

Springfield ICE Watch, a contributor to the report, noted 74 individuals were detained by ICE between Aug. 7 and Sept. 17. Prior to the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), from Jan. 1 to July 26, 26 Haitians were booked into these four facilities. Following the end of TPS on July 27, at least 445 people were booked into these facilities between July 27 and Aug. 31, with 62 identified as Haitian and 239 as Latin American.

The detention facilities included in the Ohio Immigrant Alliance report are Butler County Jail in Hamilton, Mahoning County Justice Center in Youngstown, Seneca County Jail in Tiffin, and Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio in Stryker. Two other ICE detention facilities in Ohio, the Geauga County Safety Center in Chardon and the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, were not included due to their rosters not being publicly available.

The increase in detentions follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in late June that allowed President Donald Trump to terminate temporary protected status for 330,000 Haitians who had fled violence in their home country. Legal protected status officially concluded for Haitians on July 27.

Springfield, where approximately 15,000 Haitians reside with a mix of temporary protected status, citizenship, and other legal statuses, has seen increased ICE activity. Springfield ICE Watch reported that ICE has often been observed conducting traffic stops in the middle of roads, or in parking lots of apartment complexes with high immigrant populations, grocery stores, and gas stations. The group also stated that only 8% of Haitians detained in Springfield had removal orders.

Erik Crew, a staff attorney at Haitian Bridge Alliance, reported interviewing 15 Haitians detained at Butler County Jail. According to Crew, none of those individuals had criminal records, all had entered the U.S. with authorization, possessed active and valid work authorization, and had complied with all U.S. requirements.

Among those detained was Springfield Pastor Gilbert Joubert Adrien, who was released from Butler County Jail after being held by ICE in August. Viles Dorsainvil, Executive Director of the Haitian Support Center, said Adrien used his time detained to minister to others.

ICE appears to be transitioning from ankle monitors to a smartphone application called SmartLINK for tracking Haitians in Springfield, Dorsainvil noted. However, hundreds of Haitians in Springfield still wear ankle monitors, and some had received letters requiring them to report to ICE offices in Blue Ash or Westerville to accept these devices after TPS ended. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that decisions regarding enrollment, electronic monitoring, and supervision levels in the Alternatives to Detention program are made on a “case-by-case basis” by career law enforcement officers, considering factors like immigration status, criminal history, and compliance, and are not assigned based on nationality.

The use of ankle monitors has drawn criticism from advocates. Last month, Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Wright State University student, died in an apparent suicide, which his family attributed to him being forced to wear an ICE ankle monitor. Advocates continue to call for an end to the use of ankle monitors.

ICE raids are ongoing in Springfield, with Dorsainvil sharing that a doctor recently informed him that ICE picked up two individuals in his parking lot. Dorsainvil also recounted an incident where a Haitian woman attending an ICE check-in with her two-month-old baby was detained, and the baby was given to her driver, who was not well known to the woman. The Haitian Support Center later helped locate the father.

The Ohio Immigrant Alliance report additionally highlighted that more than 90 immigrant students, from preschool to high school, have missed weeks of school due to the presence of ICE and parents’ safety concerns. Dorsainvil confirmed that some parents are keeping their children home and are being advised to communicate with schools about their situations.