SPRINGFIELD — In just hours, Springfield will hold a city commission meeting.
City leaders are expected to discuss Temporary Protected Status, which just ended for thousands of immigrants.
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TPS allows people from several countries dealing with violence, dangerous living conditions, or natural disasters to live in the U.S. legally.
“Haitian people are panicking about the long-term potential of being sent back to Haiti. And it’s not really long-term. It could happen as soon as this week,” Karl Ruby with G92 said.
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G92 is a group of churches around Springfield, gathering support and resources for Haitians living on TPS.
Now that their TPS has expired, people have to look into other ways to stay here.
Like getting a green card, getting a work sponsorship, or taking their case through immigration court.
He adds one of the biggest concerns in the Haitian community is who will take care of children born here when their parents are deported?
“We are trying to prepare for that. Do we have one family for every child who can be abandoned? Absolutely not,” Ruby said.
The Department of Homeland Security is offering incentives for TPS Haitians who self-deport through platforms like the CBP Home mobile app, including:
- Deprioritized for detention and removal by ICE
- Return to Haiti without arrest and cleared of any civil fines
- Free trip out of the U.S. with a $2,600 exit bonus
But Ruby said those incentives are unreasonable.
“How many of you would risk your lives for $2,600? I’ve talked to people in my church who have been tortured because they opposed corruption back in Haiti. So I’ve not heard from anyone who has said ‘I’m going to take the $2,600 and the airplane ticket and go back to Haiti,’” he said.
Church and community leaders are hosting a gathering to discuss ways to support the Haitian community through this transition.
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