Immigration enforcement in Springfield, Ohio: a quiet fear and shifting lines of authority

Viles Dorsainvil explains the tenuous status of Haitians in Springfield to a local TV reporter Photo by Dan Grossman

By ChatGPT and Dan Grossman

Over the past 16 months, I’ve visited Springfield, Ohio twice, talking to recent Haitian migrants — restaurant owners and activists among them. The first time I visited was in October 2024, a month before the election, and a few months after JD Vance and Donald Trump echoed false claims of Haitians eating cats and dogs. They did so in-person and in their social media channels. The second time I visited was after the election, and I revisited the same people I talked to during my original visit. The Haitians I encountered, to a person, belied the libelous characterizations they were smeared with. The executive director of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, Viles Dorsainvil, was engaging and friendly when I came to him with questions. Restaurant owner Ketlie Moise was entrepreneurial and community-minded: each day she spent engaged as much with her customers’ lives as with the business she was running. Others I encountered impressed me with their language skills and their knowledge of local and international politics. I have also met Haitians in San Diego, where I am living temporarily. One of those Haitians was a young woman named Nathalie, who worked as a caregiver for my mother. I enjoyed talking with her, practicing my French, which she spoke in addition to her Haitian Creole and her very good English. One morning, when my mom woke up confused, she leaned over the bed with big smile and said, “I’m your friend, Nathalie.” A week after that encounter, Nathalie disappeared. The agency that hired her lost track of her after she didn’t appear, six weeks ago, at the start of her shift. Assuming the worst, I typed her name into the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee locator and her name appeared at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, in San Diego, run by CoreCivic for ICE. The following is an overview, written by ChatGPT, of the situation that Haitians are facing in Springfield currently, 10 months into the Trump administration. You can find source materials at the bottom of the article. — D.G.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — In the weeks and months since federal immigration policy began tightening, Springfield’s large Haitian community and local officials have been left to navigate a patchwork of federal action, local ambiguity and accelerating fear. The city, which explicitly says it is not a sanctuary jurisdiction, is nevertheless witnessing the kinds of deterrent effects — vanishing benefit rolls, fewer people in public spaces, and rising anxiety — that often follow stepped-up federal enforcement.

The most visible sign that enforcement is reshaping daily life here is not a single dramatic raid but a steady exodus from public programs and services. Data reported by the Springfield News-Sun show sharp declines in benefit use among Haitian-speaking residents between July 2024 and March 2025: Medicaid enrollment fell by more than a third, food-stamp participation dropped by roughly 63 percent, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families usage fell by more than half. Local health-district leaders and advocates say those numbers reflect people staying home, leaving town, or simply refusing to engage with institutions they once relied on.

That retreat has human consequences. Coverage this summer documented families who say they rarely leave their homes, parents anxious about taking children to school and workers fearful of showing up for shifts. For many, the decision to pull back is a rational response to uncertainty: federal priorities have shifted, and many in Springfield worry they could be swept up even if they have no criminal history.

Local officials describe a hands-off posture shaped as much by legal boundaries as by limited information. Springfield’s official guidance is blunt: the city “has never adopted” a sanctuary resolution, but enforcement of immigration law is a federal responsibility, and local agencies say they await federal notice before taking action. Clark County officials have reported only a small number of people held on ICE detainers in county custody in recent months, and Sheriff deputies have said they would contact ICE if they suspect someone is undocumented — a description of cooperation that nonetheless leaves many practical questions unresolved on the ground. springfieldohio.gov+1

Those local choices are unfolding against a statewide backdrop in which some Ohio sheriffs have formalized closer ties with federal immigration authorities. Since early 2025, at least three county sheriff’s offices in the state inked agreements with ICE to assist with deportation operations — a development advocates say lowers the barrier to federal enforcement activities in counties that choose to partner. The trend complicates the experience of noncitizen residents in cities like Springfield, which sit inside counties that may take different stances. The Statehouse News Bureau

For Springfield’s Haitian community the policy shock has an added sting. Many local Haitians had obtained work authorization under temporary programs that have since been rolled back or ended, removing legal work options and deepening economic precarity. Community leaders, lawyers and school officials have reported frantic efforts to secure passports and replacement documents for families facing the prospect of deportation, and some residents have either left town or begun the paperwork necessary to depart voluntarily. The Guardian+1

Federal actors remain the decisive force. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and related agencies have been the architects of recent raids and enforcement campaigns nationally; in Springfield, as elsewhere, federal agents often carry out operations with little public notice and rely on local cooperation when necessary. That separation of duties — local police lawfully constrained, federal officers empowered to arrest on immigration grounds — produces both legal friction and community confusion. springfield-news-sun+1

Advocates and legal aid organizations warn that the cumulative effect is chilling: when entire families stop accessing health care, schooling and social services, the result is not just individual hardship but a fraying of public health and civic life. Local nonprofit leaders in Springfield report fewer clinic visits and lower school engagement for some immigrant families; public-health officials say basic outreach and prevention efforts become harder to carry out when people distrust institutions. springfield-news-sun+1

What happens next will depend on several moving parts: federal enforcement priorities and resources, whether additional Ohio counties sign cooperative agreements, and local decisions about how to allocate scarce law-enforcement and social-service capacity. For now, Springfield finds itself between two realities: a municipal government that insists immigration enforcement is a federal matter, and residents who must live with the local consequences of federal choices. springfieldohio.gov+1

Reporting on this beat is complicated by limited transparency: ICE does not routinely publish detailed, locality-level enforcement plans in advance, and local law-enforcement leaders declined to provide firm public commitments about how they would respond if federal activity increased. That opacity feeds rumor and fear — and makes the work of community organizers and legal clinics all the more urgent. springfield-news-sun+1

Springfield’s response so far has been largely defensive: community groups are pushing for information campaigns, legal-aid clinics have expanded “know your rights” outreach, and school and health officials are trying to maintain services while protecting client confidentiality. But advocates caution these stopgaps are no substitute for policy clarity at the federal level — and for many families in Springfield, the damage is already in motion. springfield-news-sun+1

Sources & Evidence for Key Claims in the Article

— Sources include reporting from the Springfield News-Sun, Spectrum (Cincinnati), Ohio Capital Journal and regional coverage of county sheriff agreements with ICE. The Statehouse News Bureau+3springfield-news-sun+3Spectrum News 1+3

Public Assistance / Benefit Declines

• The drop in public benefits among Haitian Creole–speaking residents (Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, etc.) is documented in reporting by the Springfield News-Sun. springfield-news-sun+1

• Clark County Job & Family Services data show consistent decline in caseloads since July 2024. springfield-news-sun

• On immigrant eligibility: Springfield News-Sun notes non-citizens can be eligible for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and refugee cash assistance under certain conditions. springfield-news-sun

Community Fear, Self-Deportation, and Avoidance

• Spectrum News reporting describes Haitian families in Springfield “deporting themselves” or staying home out of fear, including avoiding public spaces. Spectrum News 1

• The removal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, heightening fear, is also pointed to in that reporting. Spectrum News 1

• A January 2025 Spectrum News report highlights community anxiety, with many saying “most are staying in their homes — they don’t want to go outside.” Spectrum News 1

Local Government / Law Enforcement Posture

• The Springfield News-Sun coverage shows local officials clarifying that immigration enforcement is a federal matter and that local agencies “await federal notice.” springfield-news-sun

• On the broader trend in Ohio: three county sheriff’s offices (including outside Springfield) have signed 287(g) agreements with ICE, increasing local enforcement cooperation. The Statehouse News Bureau+2WGTE Public Media+2

• Legal challenges: The ACLU of Ohio recently issued a demand that some Ohio sheriffs stop holding immigrants under ICE contracts, arguing the agreements are not legally valid under Ohio law. ACLU of Ohio

Economic / Demographic Context

• The Guardian reports that Springfield’s economy was significantly bolstered by Haitian workers, and now local businesses are suffering as many leave. The Guardian

• That same piece notes the end of TPS (for Haitians) is contributing to the departures. The Guardian

• Spectrum News also documents faith-and-community leaders helping Haitian residents respond (e.g., offering shelter, accompanying them to ICE appointments). Spectrum News 1

Social Tensions, Rhetoric & Threats

• Residents’ concerns and tensions around Haitian migration have been publicly voiced in city commission meetings. Spectrum News 1

• False and inflammatory claims (e.g., about Haitian immigrants “eating pets”) have drawn national attention and contributed to community alarm. Spectrum News 1+2AP News+2

Panoramic shots of Springfield, Ohio by Dan Grossman