Gov. Mike DeWine highlights Springfield’s economic challenges tied to Haitian workers with Temporary Protected Status.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine spoke at a press conference Friday afternoon about Springfield’s current economic and employment issues, following a federal ruling earlier this month regarding the immigration status of Haitian immigrants.
DeWine visited the city to meet with local leaders, business owners and community organizations as concerns grow over looming job losses connected to Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
“Springfield has come back a long ways, and part of what’s the reason Springfield has come back is frankly because the Haitians have been in here working,” he said.
The governor was joined by Ohio Department of Children and Youth Director Kara Wente and the Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson. The conference was held after one of DeWine’s regular check-ins in Springfield every few months.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration cannot end TPS for Haitian immigrants in early September.
Although the current expiration date remains early February, the White House previously said the Trump administration will appeal the court ruling.
“When that date hits, whatever that day is, whether it’s in September or whether it’s in February, there’s going to be a massive layoff here in the Miami Valley of Haitians [and] anyone else who might have that TPS label,” DeWine said.
A change in immigration status on June 12 resulted in many Haitian workers ineligible for employment, DeWine said. This has affected dozens of employees, including 84 people who were laid off overnight at one company.
According to DeWine, an automobile parts company was planning on expanding by more than 250 workers but must deal with the uncertainty of TPS.
“I’m concerned about the economic impact on Clark County, Springfield and the Miami Valley — really, this whole part of the state,” he said. “That’s a massive change for all those individuals.”
The community has also seen a slow uptick in uncompensated care at local hospitals and requests for charitable care.
In addition, Wilson addressed child welfare concerns and crime response by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Police Division and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
“We have offered up the highway patrol and our aviation unit, our Ohio investigative unit, to come in and do some surge operations,” he said. “They’re very successful in other parts of the state — Cleveland, we do them in Dayton — where we all work together in the high-violent crime areas and really get those guns and get those shooters off of the streets.”
Wilson said Springfield police also provide drug-facilitated violent crime analysts to proactively identify offenders and root causes in violent crimes.