SPRINGFIELD — Today is the last day thousands of immigrants will be in the United States legally after their temporary protection status ends.
TPS allows people from several countries dealing with violence, dangerous living conditions, or natural disasters to live in the U.S. legally. However, last month the U.S. Supreme Court allowed TPS to end for Haitians and Syrians.
News Center 7’s Amber Jenkins spent the day in Springfield, where thousands of Haitian immigrants face uncertain futures.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- 44-year-old man arrested on arson charges after apartment fire in Fairborn
- 2 arrested after theft suspect runs from police onto I-75, jumps onto hood of woman’s car
- Coroner IDs man shot, killed after argument in Dayton
Many people don’t know where they will go next and wonder what’s next. The community adjusted to thousands of TPS Haitians living and working in Springfield for years.
Viles Dorsainvil, Executive Director of the Haitian Community Support and Help Center, said, “We’ve been praying for the best and prepared for the worst, but now we are facing the worst.”
The expired TPS order means thousands of people will return to Haiti or be forced to apply to stay in the U.S. legally.
Earl Parker of Springfield said, “I have mixed emotions about that. I believe that if they apply for their citizenship, what’s really the issue?”
Amy Riley of Springfield said, “Big change when the Haitians came, and like I said, it was just different.”
She has lived in Springfield her whole life, and she remembers how the community adjusted to thousands of immigrants moving here. Now, the community will adjust to their absence.
“They got jobs, they got homes, they got help coming to them. And I think that they should stay and work just like everybody else that comes to Springfield, Riley said.
Some businesses around Springfield are preparing to lose a fraction of their employees. The Greater Springfield Partnership said in part:
“The Haitian community has been vital to Springfield’s recent manufacturing and logistics growth, filling critical labor shortages. This decision introduces operational challenges for local employers who rely on these hard-working individuals.”
— Greater Springfield Partnership
Viles said that a lot of Haitians were let go from their jobs right before the last expiration date. “And, when there was the extension, they called them back, which means there is a need for the labor. And, I think all of them will be affected by this decision,” he said.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]