Latest news with #Haitian-speaking
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
DEI, immigration protests, Honda rumors - Local impacts of federal actions this week
Apr. 18—Dayton Public Schools' Board of Education has voted unanimously against signing a federal document pledging not to use diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Dayton Public could lose roughly $50 million because of their refusal to sign, according to district officials. The document also says that institutions that use DEI practices in violation of federal law may face lawsuits from the U.S. Department of Justice. "We didn't want to be told where we could provide that support or if we could provide it at all," said David Lawrence, DPS superintendent on Thursday. "We wanted to continue to make sure that all students were served." Many area schools have either signed or plan to sign the "anti-DEI" document by the Friday deadline. Federal policy impacts on Ohio —Local immigrant detainment protest: Members of a Tipp City church have been protesting in front of the Butler County jail after a church member from Honduras was taken into custody. Church leaders say Armando Reyes Rodriguez was asked to come to a federal facility to have an ankle monitor removed, but was instead arrested. Church members say Rodriguez has a pending asylum claim. —Honda and the U.S.: After international reports circulated about Honda weighing a plan to shift production to the U.S. amid Trump administration tariffs, a Honda spokesperson told the Dayton Daily News that the Japanese automaker hasn't made any announcement about moving its production. The company will "continue to consider the optimal global production system and allocation, taking into account customer needs and market conditions based on our longstanding approach of 'building products close to the customer,'" the spokesperson said. —Springfield immigration: A Springfield News-Sun investigation found that although there is some indication Haitian immigrants are leaving the Springfield area, the majority appear to be staying put amid months of harsh scrutiny and looming threats of deportation. Agencies that serve Haitian-speaking people have reported dips in demand for services, but Springfield schools and local employers say their Haitian students and employees continue to come to their schools and workplaces. —Panic selling: Whether it's your retirement 401(k) plan or your own personal investment portfolio, sticking with your current investment strategy ― while also potentially looking at whether you have the right assets ― could be the answer for what to do in this latest market uncertainty, financial advisors and other experts told the Dayton Daily News. More volatility could still be on the horizon, not just from tariffs, but financial advisors offer this advice: don't panic. —'Proud day for the Scarlet and Gray': Trump welcomed Ohio State's national championship football team to the White House on Monday. Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio State graduate, was picking up the trophy with the help of Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson, when the trophy split into two pieces and its base fell to the ground. "I didn't want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy so I decided to break it," the vice president joked on X after the ceremony. Other federal updates: —Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: An agency created after the Great Recession with the goal of protecting citizens from fraud and abuse faces cuts of nearly 90% as the Trump administration continues restructuring the federal workforce. Employees at the CFPB received layoff notices on Thursday. A chief legal officer for the bureau said it would be shifting its focus to problems with mortgages. Issues involving medical debt, student loans and digital payment will receive less attention from the CFPB. —Birthright citizenship: Although the Supreme Court this week kept on hold Trump administration restrictions on birthright citizenship, it agreed to hear arguments on the issue in May. Trump and his supporters have argued that there should be tougher standards for being an American citizen — these plans have been halted by district courts, with appeals courts declining to disturb those rulings. Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment and automatically makes anyone born in the U.S. an American citizen. —Universities and advocacy groups: Trump said this week that his administration is looking at the tax-exempt status not just of Harvard University, but environmental groups and specifically the ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. "It's supposed to be a charitable organization," Trump said about CREW. "The only charity they had is going after Donald Trump. So we're looking at that. We're looking at a lot of things."
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are Haitians fleeing Springfield? What our reporting found
Apr. 18—There are indications that a large number of Springfield's Haitian immigrant population has relocated elsewhere. But after months of harsh scrutiny and facing the threat of deportation from a presidential administration intent on revoking their legal right to stay in the country, the majority appear to be staying put, a Springfield News-Sun investigation found. For now, they have jobs. Their kids are in school. They have access to health care and other services. They have put down roots. "They don't have any reason to leave now because they don't have any other place to go in the USA where they will not be facing the same issue," said Vilès Dorsainvil, president of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center. Springfield and Clark County leaders have long estimated that the region is home to 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian immigrants. The News-Sun used available data points to find: —The number of Haitian-speaking Clark County residents on public assistance has dropped by thousands of people since last summer. Medicaid enrollment for Haitian-speaking applicants is down by more than a third, food stamps by 63% and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families usage by more than half from July 2024 through March 2025. —Clark County Combined Health District leaders have seen a reduction in demand for service, but estimate the number of local Haitians still above 10,000. —Springfield City Schools officials say overall district enrollment has remained around 7,400 this school year. Data provided by the district shows it has 1,258 students classified as English language learners this month, down about 6.6% from a high of 1,347 in February — but up from 1,193 in October 2024. —Springfield's federally-qualified health center, Rocking Horse, saw a small dip in its Haitian-Creole speaking patients in the last two weeks of January. But since then, attendance has stabilized, agency leaders say. —Employers interviewed by the News-Sun say Haitian workers are not leaving their jobs. The future for this vulnerable population is uncertain. Many have work permits and remain in the country legally under programs President Donald Trump tried to end as early as April 24. Some of those efforts are slowed by court action, but Springfield's Haitian immigrants remain possibly months from being ripped of their legal status. It's unclear what will happen then. An ICE spokesperson did not return a request for comment about deportation procedures. The Trump administration wants them to return to Haiti. But Haiti has had severe poverty and political instability for years, intensified by a series of natural disasters. In 2021, Haiti's president was assassinated. In 2023, the U.S. ordered all non-essential personnel to leave the country. In March 2024, a state of emergency was declared as violent gangs had taken over much of the country. Last fall, the largest airport was closed because gang members were firing at planes. The U.S. State Department has had a "Do Not Travel" advisory on Haiti for more than six months, citing "kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care." The most recent update last week said gunfire was reported near the U.S. Embassy. So for now, thousands stay in Springfield. Public assistance programs Clark County Job and Family Services has reported a steady decrease in Haitian Creole-speaking residents seeking public assistance since an all-time high in July 2024, with nearly every category of assistance available to immigrants declining since last summer. "It could mean they're either leaving or no longer needing public assistance," said Clark County JFS director Ginny Martycz. "But we have noticed a difference." County JFS departments administer Medicaid programs and other forms of public assistance, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. When someone applying for public assistance moves counties within Ohio, they appear in the caseloads of their new county JFS department. Clark County caseloads for Haitian-speaking applicants Month Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility — Medicaid Refugee Cash Assistance SNAP SNAP Employment and Training TANF TANF Work Activities Jul-24 7,961 84 1,896 4,363 427 1,475 146 Aug-24 7,190 20 1,803 3,536 381 1,353 135 Sep-24 6,992 14 1,737 3,280 388 1,250 152 Oct-24 6,624 17 1,582 2,794 349 1,140 156 Nov-24 6,003 19 1,478 2,438 279 1,110 191 Dec-24 6,340 21 1,326 2,265 85 1,081 145 Jan-25 5,965 15 1,095 1,941 46 1,031 149 Feb-25 5,459 12 848 1,673 32 897 162 Mar-25 5,260 20 720 1,597 25 711 179 Source: Clark County Department of Job and Family Services ------ Last summer, Clark County JFS had 4,363 Haitian Creole-speaking applicants in their caseload for the SNAP Program. At the end of March this year, the caseload for Haitian Creole-speaking applicants had shrunk by 63%. The county's Medicaid caseload saw a similar drop, with 5,260 cases linked to Creole-speaking applicants at the end of March, compared to 7,961 Medicaid applicants in July 2024. This is a 33% drop in the county's caseload. Some immigrants are also eligible for the Refugee Cash Assistance program. In Clark County, Haitian residents make up the vast majority of assistance distributed through this program. This program is for immigrants without children, and assistance is limited to 12 months after arrival in the U.S. In July 2024, a total of 1,896 applicants were in Clark County's caseload for this program, but at the end of March, only 720 cases were linked to Clark County. Health district For the Clark County Combined Health District, home visitors in Early Childhood programs like Help Me Grow have reported that numerous families are leaving or preparing for their departure, according to Clark County Health Commissioner Chris Cook. "We are seeing a decrease in demand for our services at the health department, ranging from immunizations to refugee health screenings," Cook said. "This doesn't necessarily mean that people have left, but rather that they are laying low or are getting their care elsewhere." Cook previously estimated that 12,000 Haitians reside in Clark County; he believes that number has since decreased, but it likely hasn't dipped below 10,000 residents. Rocking Horse According to Rocking Horse data, in 2024 the community health center served 15,600 patients. Roughly 3,600 of these were patients best served in a language other than English. In the last quarter of 2024, the health center saw 208 new patients who speak Haitian-Creole. In the first quarter of 2025, the health center only saw 150 new patients. But new patient numbers were down in total in the first quarter this year. "Rocking Horse still considers itself as the safety net provider and encourages people to continue engaging in their healthcare," Rocking Horse CEO Dr. Yamimi Teegala said. "Our concern was never about losing patients. Our concern was more, 'I don't want anyone to go under the radar and just skip this visit.' But people are engaging with essential services." Rocking Horse Chief Operating Officer Stacy Lee said that among adult patients, the health center sees about 10 new patients per week on average. "We still continue to see a fairly large number. But we continue to monitor this," she said. Lee has been coordinating training for Rocking Horse staff over the past few months. The training walked employees through patient privacy and procedures around immigration enforcement. She said several patients have called in concerns about receiving care under their current immigration statuses. "We're trying to continue to be the place for everyone and give quality care to everyone," Lee said. English language classes Clark State College is one of 47 providers for Ohio's Aspire program, which among other things provides English language courses for Haitian residents. Timothy Armstrong, state director of the program that runs through the Ohio Department of Education, said Haitian learners from Clark County reported "apprehension" with on-site English classes last fall and again in January. Aspire providers pivoted to other formats, such as synchronous learning where learners could tune into online classes from home. But many of those students have since returned to the classroom. Non-native speakers, many of whom are Haitian residents, make up more than 90% of students in Clark State College's Aspire program. Similarly, at Springfield City Schools, 65% of the students in Aspire courses are non-native speakers, according to Armstrong.
