For now, it appears there won't be a surge by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or border patrol agents in Springfield, where thousands of Haitians on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) live and work. And Gov. Mike DeWine said that's in line with what his administration was told by the Department of Homeland Security before a federal judge extended those legal protections for Haitian immigrants.
A ruling from a federal judge Monday keeps TPS in place for Haitians. Advocates in Springfield, including community and faith leaders, had been gearing up to respond to a possible surge as soon as Wednesday, when TPS was set to expire at the order of the Trump administration.
DeWine said last week that he was getting "mixed signals" about a possible surge in federal action targeting Haitian immigrants. When asked if DeWine had heard about how Monday’s ruling might affect plans by Homeland Security to send ICE or border patrol agents to Ohio, his spokesman said in a text: "We never heard of any plans prior to the ruling."
But in a phone call to the Statehouse News Bureau, DeWine clarified that.
"Prior to yesterday we were told by (Homeland Security Director) Kristi Noem’s office that they had no plans to go into Springfield," DeWine said on the call, but added that DHS personnel "on the ground were telling us that they were going into Springfield, but they didn’t know the date."
DeWine said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson had a meeting with DHS and ICE before the ruling came out, and "he was told that they had no specific orders to go into Springfield." But DeWine added that the state was told "that could change." And he said DHS also said they "will still continue throughout Ohio to carry on normal operations."
As for his reaction to the ruling, DeWine said “we will follow the court”, but that he still opposes ending TPS for Haitians.
"My position hasn’t changed. I think taking away TPS would be a mistake," DeWine said. "If you look at the growth in Ohio, over half the growth is immigrants. And these are people who are working and contributing to society."
That's backed up by a recent U.S. Census Bureau report. And the Ohio Department of Development noted that Ohio has gained around 60,000 new residents as people have come from other states and countries, but noted that if migration from other states and countries doesn't continue, "overall population loss may exceed figures presented here."
DeWine has said several times that Haiti is still a dangerous country. As of July 2025, the U.S. Department of State heavily advised against traveling to Haiti.
