Several business in Clark County and the broader region are worried about losing Haitian workers to deportation.
That's according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who spoke while visiting Springfield.
DeWine said while the city is moving in a more positive direction, several businesses in Clark County and beyond have expressed fear of losing workers because the Trump administration has moved to end their temporary protection status.
"These companies — even without the federal government taking specific action against an individual — many of these companies will no longer be able to employ them," DeWine said. "So they will have to stop employing them if their legal status changes."
Companies in the auto industry are particularly concerned about losing employees.
“There was specific concern mentioned today about a couple of auto parts companies and what impact that would have on them and their ability to supply Honda and their ability to supply several other companies," DeWine said.
"I think the goal all along is to get back to a 'normal' attitude here in Springfield, a normal environment. And I think we have certainly reached that, and it's frankly due to a lot of work from a lot people in the community."
State leaders don't know how many people could be deported or what the exact impact would be on the region's employers.
"Many of the Haitians who live in Springfield, or who live in Clark County, don't work here. They work outside," DeWine said. "So they might work in Versailles, they might work in other communities, sometimes 30, 40, 50 miles away. So the impact will be not just on the Springfield community, the impact will be on other communities in the state."
After meeting with Springfield area leaders on Monday, DeWine said the city seems to be moving in a promising direction.
"They're moving forward. This is a community that continues to work together," he said. "If you we're here a few minutes ago you'd see that whole table filled with people in the community. And they continue to look to the future."
Thousands of Haitian immigrants have moved to the city in recent years, many after being granted temporary protected status. City leaders have previously reported challenges with meeting the sudden need for more housing, health care, interpretation and other services.
Springfield has been working to improve public safety and access to health care, schooling and housing in its community, DeWine said.
"I think the goal all along is to get back to a 'normal' attitude here in Springfield, a normal environment. And I think we have certainly reached that, and it's frankly due to a lot of work from a lot people in the community," he said. "Everybody from the health care, hospital, health department, to the schools, to the business community. This is a community that's really pulled together."
The state has shut down a mobile unit it sent last fall after it provided over 3,000 vaccines and WIC services to the community, said the Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff.
“And now what we're hearing is that that backlog appears to have been cleared," he said. "And the community's existing primary care resources are able to meet the needs.”
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The state is also working to give Springfield additional resources after recent gun violence in the city.
"One of the things that we have through the governor's budget is the Violent Crime Reduction Program," said Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. "So these are grant dollars that go to communities to address violent crime and we have put some of those monies here."
