The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has notified some Haitians in Springfield who previously had TPS status to report to their office in Blue Ash, Ohio, for an in-person check-in.
Temporary Protected Status for Haiti expired on Monday, July 27, 2026, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that DHS had the authority to end it.
The summons to Haitians who lost their Temporary Protected Status this week is in the form of a letter from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Viles Dorsainvil is executive director of the Springfield Haitian Support Center. Since July 27, he’s driven more than a dozen former TPS holding immigrants to Blue Ash, each armed with all of their immigration papers.
"What we see is that when they get there, (ICE) interviewed them and eventually they put an ankle monitor on them," Dorsainvil said.
The individuals also received court dates 30-days out from the check-in meeting.
According to Dorsainvil, if people cannot make the appointment, they must write a reason on the form, scan it and email back within 24 hours.
"There is one mother who went to that appointment. When she came back home, she did not even want her kids to notice that she has that ankle monitor," Dorsainvil said. "I am grieving with this family for that because it's really humiliating. They're not criminals. They put ankle monitors on criminals. This is very humiliating to see happen to my people."
According to Columbus-based immigration attorney Inna Simakovsky, if people don’t appear for the check-in appointment or if they refuse to wear the ankle monitor, they can be arrested and deported.
WYSO reached out to the Department of Homeland Security with specific questions about these summons and using ankle monitors on Haitian immigrants. No one has replied to our inquiry.
ICE says on its website: “ICE’s Alternatives to Detention programs exist to ensure compliance with release conditions and provide important case management services for non-detained aliens.”
Meanwhile, Dorsainvil and his team are busy helping their countrymen navigate the ever growing uncertainty for some Haitian immigrants in the wake of losing TPS.
"I know I have faith in the Lord, but I don't know what the Lord is about to do. If only he can reveal something to me," Dorsainvil said. "I am grieving for my country. I am grieving for my people here. It's tough, really tough."
