Many migrants in Springfield anxious about potential changes to legal status
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Over 10 years ago the City of Springfield passed a resolution to welcome migrants from Haiti.
It was as much a practical move as a humanitarian one as the city needed an influx of people to work after years of struggles to fill jobs.
'Springfield was on a decline for quite some time and population number of things,' said city manager Bryan Heck. 'We are on the rise, we've been on the rise.'
The city's resurgence happened with the help of thousands of migrants from Haiti, one of 15 countries that qualify for federal 'Temporary Protected Status'. TPS allows migrants to come to the U.S. to fill jobs while also seeking refuge.
'The Haitians that came in were hired because they were needed,' said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. 'They need to fill jobs and they're very reliable. They show up for work.'
When Haitians arrive in Springfield from troubled conditions, they are connected to the Haitian Resource Center. The center provides vital resources such as translation services, food assistance, housing and driving class information, and, in some cases, safety from harassment.
Viles Dorsainvil, operator of the Haitian Resource Center, said 'hateful' people bothering the Haitians in the name of an anti-illegal immigration push have it wrong.
'They are here legally,' said Dorsainil.
Springfield Police did not reply to a request for comment about the alleged incidents of harassment.
Previous coverage of Springfield's time in the national spotlight
Dorsainil said he received threatening messages to his email inbox, accusing him of being responsible for the influx and telling him and the migrants to go back to Haiti.
Many members of the community are working together to stay informed and safe. They're also searching for answers to questions about legal status and possible deportation.
The Migration Policy Institute said there are scenarios where the laws could change, where people who legally came to the U.S. could be deported.
With more than 11,000 arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the beginning of 2025, some in the community are concerned.
'For deportation or something like this, it's a very uncertain time for them,' said Dorsainil.
Dorsainil said it's important to remind everyone, the Haitian migrants in Springfield are here legally.
'They have a status and they are not criminals,' he said.
Springfield residents show support of Haitian community during council meeting
As they move forward and away from the spotlight, the migrants are hoping to simply live there peacefully.'The Haitians here and the immigrants I know here, I know they are peaceful people coming just to help the community moving forward,' Dorsainil said.
Coming Wednesday: 2 NEWS will look at how Springfield is spending the money it has received to help with the Haitian migrant surge.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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