A spotlight shone on Springfield, Ohio, following some Republican claims of egregious acts being committed by Haitian immigrants. What should be highlighted is the reason that Haitians settled in Springfield in the first place, and the actual struggles and achievements that have occurred as a result of roughly 15,000 Haitians moving to a city with a shrinking population. This four-part series will address the facts and the fallacies of the situation.
Haiti is an unstable and often dangerous country. Gang violence, kidnapping and sexual violence are commonplace. According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than 600 Haitians were killed by gangs in the capital of Port-au-Prince during a single month in 2023. Gangs control about 80 percent of Port-au-Prince’s territory. Violent individuals find little resistance from Haiti’s unstable government and weak police force.
Haitians who seek to escape the violence and poor living conditions lack nearby solutions. The Dominican Republic frequently deports Haitians who cross their border; in fact, the Dominican Republic is building a wall to ensure Haitians will not enter. The Bahamas, Cuba, and Turks and Caicos have also deported Haitians seeking asylum.
From the Migration Policy Institute:
These Haitians moving for a second and third time are part of a larger group of migrants on the move from other countries in the Americas, including Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Driven in part by domestic crises, the rapid post-pandemic U.S. economic recovery, perceptions that the Biden administration might welcome them more warmly, and other factors, many have looked towards the U.S.-Mexico border. For those coming from South America, this has often meant passage through the Darien Gap, a once-inaccessible stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama that has become an increasingly popular migration route.
Those who can afford (monetarily and physically) to travel to the southern border of the United States do so with the hope of at last tasting freedom. Haitians seeking asylum in the United States began to increase significantly in 2021, which prompted the Biden Administration to fly many of them back to their home country. Many others were allowed to stay through Temporary Protection Status or TPS.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations:
“TPS is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program that allows migrants from designated countries to reside legally in the United States for a period of up to eighteen months, which the U.S. government can renew indefinitely. During that period, TPS holders are eligible for employment and travel authorization and are protected from deportation. The program does not include a path to permanent residency or U.S. citizenship, but TPS recipients can apply for those designations separately.”
Haitians began to settle in Springfield, Ohio, about five years ago. According to articles in local newspapers, plentiful job prospects and an affordable cost of living attracted the first wave of Haitians, who eventually encouraged their family and friends to move to Springfield. Today, the Haitian population in Springfield is estimated at 15,000. The city’s total population is just under 60,000.
This seemed to be just what Springfield was looking for in 2014, when the city approved a resolution to advocate for immigrant groups in the community. The resolution was inspired by “Welcome Springfield,” a nonprofit organization that was created to encourage immigrants to feel at home in the city and create businesses. This was especially appealing to a city that had suffered population decline following the closure of several manufacturing companies in the mid-20th century.
As Springfield strove to bring new companies to town and revitalize its economy, it also welcomed immigrants to work for these companies or start their own businesses.
Not everyone was in favor of the “Welcome Springfield” idea. According to the Springfield News-Sun, “The Ohio Jobs & Justice Political Action Committee…believes many of the immigrants aren’t starting businesses and have a difficult time assimilating to the United States. It eventually leads to them accepting social services, founder Steve Salvi said.”
The temporary legal status that applies to the Springfield Haitians is a program that dates back to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Initally Haitians came to Springfield under that program. Ten countries have been given the TPS designation, in 2016 six of those countries were removed as the conditions no longer existed to keep it. In 2021, the Biden administration restored them and increased immigration from them from 10,000 to more than 2 million. TPS is renewed every 2 years, so the administraton keeps renewing it. The Dominican Republic will begin deporting 10,000 Haitians per week also.