Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling on temporary protected status has catastrophic implications for many Haitians in the US who could now face deportation, and also for the communities where they live, a pastor in Springfield, Ohio, told reporters.
“This is a tragedy for Springfield, Ohio. We’re a city that had been in decline for 50 years. When Haitians arrived, that was the first time we grew in half a century. We went from being the fastest shrinking city in America to the fastest growing. And this undoes all of that progress,” said Pastor Carl Ruby of Central Christian Church.
An estimated 12,000-15,000 Haitians live in Springfield and have bolstered the city’s workforce. Ruby called the court’s ruling a “worst-case scenario” but said churches and others are committed to supporting Haitians there.
“We are a city that loves our neighbors, and I can’t overstate the commitment of the community to stand with Haitians who now are at risk for deportation and are not able to work, effective immediately,” he said. “That’s going to hurt businesses in Springfield. It’s going to lead to economic decline. It’s going to hurt our county. It’s just awful.”
Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, said many are now bracing themselves for life without work permits and driver’s licenses. “That will put us in a very bad situation,” he said.
“I understand that now, being in America is dealing with a system that just don’t want you,” he added.
Community support helps, Dorsainvil said, but won’t stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting people or separating families.
“I used to know a US where human dignity was valued, justice was valued, but it’s no longer this,” he said.