A swath of Yellow Springers joined hundreds of others outside Springfield City Hall on Thursday, June 25, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitian and Syrian immigrants.

At the rally, organized by G92, the World House Choir led the crowd in song, and Haitian Support Center Co-Founder and Executive Director Viles Dorsainvil spoke of the unknown future ahead for the thousands of  Haitians living in Springfield and elsewhere in the nation.

“This decision has brought fear and uncertainty to countless families who have built their lives, contributed to their communities and called the United States home,” he said.

Speaking directly to Haitian residents, Dorsainvil continued: “I want you to know that we see you. We know your work ethic, we know your sacrifices, we know the long hours you work to provide for your families, to educate your children and to strengthen the communities where you live.”

The Springfield Haitian Support Center Co-Founder and Executive Director Viles Dorsainvil, pictured at left, called for solidarity and faith in the difficult days ahead — during a time when those formerly shielded by TPS, may face deportation and persecution. (Photo by Reilly Dixon)

TPS, established in 1990 by Congress as part of a bipartisan immigration act, allows people from countries affected by armed conflict, natural disasters and other unsafe conditions to live and work in the U.S. without being removed. Haiti was first granted TPS following a 2010 earthquake; Syria was designated in 2012 amid civil war.

The Trump administration moved to terminate TPS for both countries last year. Haiti’s TPS was set to expire Feb. 3, but a federal district court in Washington granted a stay before the termination took effect. The court found Haitian plaintiffs likely to succeed on claims that the Department of Homeland Security failed to properly consult other federal agencies and ignored evidence about conditions in Haiti. However, in its 6–3 decision last week, the Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s order. The majority held that federal law bars courts from reviewing most claims challenging the homeland security secretary’s decision to terminate a country’s TPS designation. The ruling allows the TPS terminations to proceed while the cases challenging them continue.

An estimated 12,000–15,000 Haitian immigrants live in the Springfield area, according to reporting from WYSO and The Ohio Newsroom. Many are TPS holders whose work permits, at press time, were set to become invalid Wednesday, July 1; that expiration was later extended to Thursday, July 10. WYSO and The Ohio Newsroom reported last week that Haitian TPS holders contribute an estimated $91 million to Springfield’s economy.

In a press release this week, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine criticized the Supreme Court decision: “As I have stated in the past, the policy to remove these individuals from this country is a mistake,” he wrote. “The situation in Haiti could hardly be much worse. The violent gangs run most of the country. The government barely functions. And the economy is in shambles.”

The statement continued: “Further, our federal government has an advisory against traveling to Haiti, and our Federal Aviation Administration prohibits U.S. carriers from flying there because of the danger to planes of being shot at by the gangs. But, more importantly, changing the immigration status of these individuals is not in the best interest of the United States nor Ohio.”

The World House Choir sang songs of protest at the rally on Thursday, June 25. (Photo by Reilly Dixon)

At the Thursday rally, Dorsainvil thanked residents of Springfield and Yellow Springs who have supported Haitian families: “You have welcomed your neighbors, spoken out against injustice, defended vulnerable families and refused to let hate and division have the final word.”

He added: “To every immigrant family who is anxious tonight, you are not alone.”