Springfield, Ohio – About 40 Ohio Haitian immigrants and their supporters began a four-day march from Springfield to Columbus last week, demanding action regarding the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and their subsequent treatment. The group embarked on what they called a pilgrimage, starting from Springfield at dawn on a misty Wednesday morning to highlight what they describe as a "real nightmare" and to seek relief from state officials.
The march comes after President Donald Trump and conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court ended TPS in late July. This decision impacted as many as 15,000 Haitian immigrants who had been living legally in Springfield, many having established new lives after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010.
Conditions in Haiti have significantly deteriorated since, with the government described as having almost ceased to function. Gangs are using murder, kidnapping, and child rape to project their power, according to the source material. Gov. Mike DeWine has referred to Haiti as "hell."
Some Springfield residents with former TPS have already been rounded up, imprisoned, and deported back to Haiti. Pastor Reginald Silencieux of the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, speaking through an interpreter, expressed heartbreak over these deportations. "People should not be treated that way. These are good people and humane people," Silencieux said. He emphasized that these individuals had committed no crime.
Silencieux has been in communication with some of his congregants since their forced return to Haiti. He described their suffering as a "catastrophe," noting that they are "not able to make it" in Haiti after having built lives, worked, and grown families in Springfield.
The loss of these residents has had a notable impact on Springfield's economy. The influx of Haitians had previously helped revive the shrinking city by filling jobs in warehouses and other sectors that native-born residents did not want. Now, Springfield leads the state in year-over-year job losses. Federal job reports indicate that the city's labor force lost 1,100 manufacturing, leisure, and hospitality jobs, contracting 2.2% in 2025 alone.
For those deported, the International Rescue Committee reports that Haitians are forced to return to a country where they not only struggle to find jobs but also contribute to an existing humanitarian crisis, with half the population experiencing acute hunger.
Beyond the reinstatement of protected status, the marchers are demanding an end to the ankle monitoring program, the return of imprisoned Haitians to their families, and the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from Springfield.
Pastor Silencieux stated that the abuse of Haitians with protected status often begins before deportation. Some have been arrested by masked ICE agents and held in private, for-profit prisons or county jails. Others were summoned to ICE offices to be fitted with ankle monitors. Silencieux called the ankle monitors "dehumanizing," noting that they remind descendants of slaves of "the same shackles that were used in the time of slavery." He also reported that the detention system is breaking up families.
The impact of ankle monitors was tragically highlighted by the death of Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Wright State University student who took his own life on August 31 after being bullied for wearing one.
Organizers noted that few Haitian immigrants still in Springfield joined the march, as many are afraid to appear in public.
Michaelle Louis, who led songs at the Springfield City Hall Plaza before the march, spoke about the deeper issues facing Haitians. Louis, who came to the U.S. in 2014 after her brother's assassination in Port-au-Prince and moved to Springfield in 2021, declined to specify her own immigration status. She asserted that facing deportation is not about legal status but about skin color. "It’s about what you look like. Are you are Black?" Louis said, citing that many citizens not born in the U.S. have been detained.
Minister Archange Antoine, participating in the march, suggested that the severe crackdown on immigrants might be politically counterproductive. He noted that polling indicates voters have turned against President Trump on immigration policies and largely support a path to citizenship for immigrants. Antoine stated that people are witnessing "families being separated" and "citizens being detained," prompting questions about responsibility.
Past actions by President Trump have also been cited. In a September 15, 2024 debate, he repeated a claim that Springfield’s Haitians were stealing and eating pets. This claim was later echoed by then-Sen. JD Vance, even as bomb threats shut down Springfield schools and civic buildings. In contrast, President Trump stated in May that he would admit an additional 10,000 white South African refugees this year.
