Federal agents don't have "planned specific actions" to mobilize ICE agents to Springfield and other areas with large Haitian populations.
That's according to a new court filing from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security leader on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.
"But ICE is engaged in daily enforcement activities across the country in various locations, including but not limited to Springfield, Ohio, and South Florida," DHS Assistant Director for Field Operations Liana Castano says in the federal court filing.
In the weeks and months leading up to Feb. 3, 2026, many in the Springfield area prepared for a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions. That's when Temporary Protected Status for many Haitian immigrants in the region would have expired, leaving thousands suddenly with no legal status.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes paused the termination on the eve of its expiration while a lawsuit plays out. The Trump administration appealed that decision.
Reyes ordered DHS to declare whether or not the department had been making plans to mobilize ICE for areas like Springfield and South Florida.
In the new court filing, Castano she says knows of no specific plans for a surge in ICE enforcement in those places if Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants had ended Feb. 3.
"ICE operations are targeted to those who are removable from the country, regardless of nationality, with the end goal of enforcing the immigration laws to preserve the national security and public safety of the United States, " Castano says in the document.
Additionally, she says "if the termination had not been stayed, DHS would have acted to enforce the immigration laws in light of the termination, just as it has acted to enforce the immigration laws against past TPS holders based on other terminations."
