Hundreds of Ohioans rallied in Springfield Thursday to support Haitians hours after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump can end legal status for Haitians who’ve left the violence in their home country.

More than a dozen people spoke at a rally outside of Springfield’s City Hall Thursday night. 

“We had hoped that this would be a time of celebration, but it has become a time of lament,” said Carl Ruby, pastor of Springfield’s Central Christian Church.

“This is not a time to throw a punch or a rock, it is the time to turn the other cheek. It’s a time to go the extra mile to sacrifice our comfort and to suffer if need be to protect the lives of others.” 

People cried and hugged each other. Several held signs saying ‘Immigrants Make America Great,’ ‘Springfield is for everyone,’ ‘Love thy neighbor,’ and ‘We are commanded to welcome strangers.’ 

Some of the speakers prayed for the Haitians and Springfield. The World House Choir from Yellow Springs lead the group in songs. 

Mia Perez, founder of Voices of Immigrants, urged Haitians to act now. 

“Do not wait until ICE is at your door,” she said. “Gather your documents, keep copies of your immigration papers, work permit, passport, court notices.”

Many of the speakers emphasized this is the time to help Haitians. 

“You must also prepare,” said Katie Kersh, an attorney with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality in Dayton.

“You need to decide what you stand for and what you are willing to fight for in the coming days.”

Springfield Neighbors United has launched an emergency food and diaper drive, said Rev. Dr. Marian Stewart, one of their volunteer leaders. 

“There are a lot of babies in town,” she said. “Let me tell you, we need to take care of them in this hard time. These days, I ask you, follow your heart, put kindness, empathy, and compassion in the center.”

Ruby thanked Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who was born in Springfield, for his support and asked him for help. 

“We need resources to provide translators, we need resources to help with food, and anything the state can do would be deeply appreciated,” Ruby said. 

About 30,000 Haitians with temporary status live in central Ohio and an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians call Springfield home, with a mixture of temporary protected status, citizenship, and other legal status.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program that allows people from specific countries in conflict or facing natural disasters the chance to live and work in the United States for a set period of time. 

“Haitians who came to this country with the promise of safety, who follow the law and apply for TPS and often asylum have now been left with no TPS protection,” Kersh said. 

This means Haitians can theoretically be detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at any moment, she said. 

“These individuals followed the law, and the law abandoned them,” Kersh said. 

She recommends Haitians living in the U.S. talk to an immigration attorney for a consultation to evaluate their options. 

Haitians can apply for asylum, but the Trump administration put an indefinite freeze on processing all asylum applications at the end of 2025.

“Our immigrant neighbors and community members need to prepare,” Kersh said. “They need to make a plan, they need to decide what will happen to their children if they are detained.”

More than 1,000 children born in Springfield with American citizenship have Haitian parents, Viles Dorsainvil has previously said. 

“I’m not sure the school district will know how to deal with it,” Dorsainvil said on Thursday. “And the parents as well, they do not know if they will continue to send their kids to school.”

Dorsainvil came to the United States from Haiti in 2020 and is the executive director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield.

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

Dorsainvil spoke directly to his fellow Haitians. 

“We will not allow fear to define us,” he said. “Our resilience has carried us through these many hardships before, and it will continue to carry us through this one as well.” 

Dorsainvil also thanked the Springfield community. 

“You have welcomed your neighbors, spoken out against injustice, defended vulnerable families, and refused to let hate and division have the final word,” he said. 

“Your friendship and your courage has given hope to many people during one of the most difficult chapters of their lives as we face this unsettling moment.” 

“We want you here,” someone shouted from the crowd while Dorsainvil spoke. 

Springfield experienced a shrinking population for decades as manufacturing jobs disappeared, but Haitian immigrants have grown Clark County’s workforce by more than 10,000 workers.

“You cannot remove our neighbors without us feeling the hurt,” said Rev. Michelle Boomgaard with Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield. 

“You cannot remove children from our children’s classrooms, their friends, without us feeling hurt, you cannot remove star athletes from our sports teams without us feeling the hurt.”

Haiti is currently plagued by gang violence and instability, with many fleeing the small Caribbean nation to the United States for their lives. A top security official and chief of staff to the nation’s defense minister was recently kidnapped.

Many of the Haitian refugees in America have no homes to return to in Haiti. The U.S. Department of State currently has a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti.

“Many of them cannot safely return to Haiti,” said Biassu Pierre, a community organizer for Advocates for Basic Legal Equality. 

“They came to the United States to escape violence, stability, and danger. Going back to Haiti is not simply returning home, it’s good men returning to a place where their lives are at risk today.” 

Ohio state Rep. Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus, said this is the time for people to come together. 

“Are we going to let them take our neighbors away from us? Absolutely not,” she said. 

Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on X or on Bluesky.

This story is republished from the Ohio Capital Journal under a Creative Commons license. View the original article.