'Terrified' in Ohio: Supreme Court Ruling Clears Path for Trump to End TPS for Haitians
Community leaders and immigrant advocates in Springfield, Ohio, say Haitian families are bracing for a wave of uncertainty after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 25 that the Trump administration can proceed with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitians and thousands of Syrians living in the United States.
The humanitarian program, originally created in 1990, grants legal status and work authorization to nationals from countries devastated by armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. Trump officials have long argued the program has outlived its original purpose, but lower courts had blocked termination while legal challenges played out. The Supreme Court’s decision now allows the administration to dismantle the protections even as litigation continues.
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In Springfield—home to one of the largest Haitian communities in Ohio—the ruling immediately rattled organizations that have spent years supporting families already caught in the crosshairs of the national immigration debate.
“It was predictable that the Supreme Court could have taken such a decision, which is not good for our community,” said Viles Dorsainvil, a Haitian immigrant and executive director of the Haitian Support Center. “We were expecting the Supreme Court to uphold justice and human dignity, but it’s the opposite.”
Dorsainvil noted that many Haitian families have built roots in the United States over a decade or more and may no longer have relatives or support networks back in Haiti, which remains destabilized by gang violence and political turmoil.
“The worst thing is we have so many Haitian families who have been here for so long, they might not have any person in Haiti if something happens to them,” Dorsainvil said. “It’s a very sad situation for the Haitian community here.”
The decision also carries economic consequences. If large numbers of Haitians lose their legal status and jobs, Springfield could see a significant blow to its local economy, where many Haitians work in manufacturing, warehousing, and service industries.
“So many people will lose their jobs and that will create some type of crisis in our community,” Dorsainvil said. “As our community, we have always stood together and we will continue to through this.”
Michael McClelland, a spokesperson for the Springfield faith-based group G92, said staff gathered the morning of June 25 to watch the ruling, hoping for at least a delay.
“We were all hoping it would be at least postponed or a partial victory,” McClelland said. “This is a loss for America’s democracy.”
The group has exhausted its legal options and is now shifting to emergency support—helping families prepare for potential detention, job loss, or deportation.
“This is exactly what the Trump administration has been hoping for,” McClelland said. “Not much we can do now. We will continue to provide for the Haitian community as we can, but this is the end of our legal options.”
McClelland said many Haitian residents are now terrified of what comes next.
“I think it’s all possible. At this moment, ICE can start knocking on doors and taking people away,” McClelland said. “I’m sure the Haitian community are terrified.”
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Haitian immigrants in Ohio fearful in wake of Supreme Court TPS ruling