The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday, March 16, to hear arguments about whether or not to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, including thousands who live in Springfield.
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, commonly called ABLE, filed an amicus curiae brief in the case with the U.S. Supreme Court. They’re filed it on behalf of Springfield Neighbors United.
It’s in connection with one of the national lawsuits challenging the federal government’s planned termination of Temporary Protected Status or TPS for Haiti. The amicus curiae document — meaning "friend of the court" — is filed by a group not connected to a pending lawsuit.
An estimated 350,000 Haitian TPS holders live in the United States. It's believed 12,000-15,000 Haitians, many with TPS, live in Springfield.
Biassu Pierre is a community organizer for the Dayton area ABLE office. He's also a Haitian with Temporary Protected Status. He said TPS is a necessary protection.
"We cannot go back to Haiti because Haiti is not safe," Pierre said. "TPS is created to protect people from going back to the place where they have been harmed."
Renee Murphy is a managing attorney for ABLE. She contended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security should have considered the long-term and short-term harm to communities, like Springfield, if the city’s Haitian population drops.
"The influx of working people and families with children has made the community more vibrant and increased the tax base significantly," Murphy said. "One thing we do know is that in the last several years, the local income tax base here in Springfield actually increased $20 million, from $28 million to $48 million."
Rev. Michelle Boomgaard leads Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield. She has Haitian members in her congregation who say they have applied for asylum but fear they won't get their day in court. At a press conference of faith and community leaders advocating for the city's Haitian population on Monday, she blessed a group preparing to leave for Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, they will stage a press conference on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.
"We want to tell the story of the people we know who are, by and large, law-abiding, people who came following the letter of the law, who were told, 'You have to register, you have this protection.' They are following the law. There are many cases applying for asylum and other things because it's not safe for them to return," Boomgaard said. "We don't history to look back on these lies that people told about our Haitian neighbors. And we also don't wanna history to looked back on this and say we didn't try to do the right thing and stand up for our neighbors."
Currently, a federal judge has denied ending Haiti’s TPS status while attorneys argue this case in court. Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court justices will hear arguments in this case.
