Supreme Court ruling lets Trump end protected status for Haitians in Ohio
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Thousands of Haitian immigrants living in Ohio are facing a new kind of uncertainty after the Supreme Court ruled Thursday the federal government can end their legal protections.
Why it matters: Since 2010, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has kept many Haitians living and working here as they flee gang violence and instability in their home country.
- The program has been under threat for years — and without it, deportation looms.
Zoom in: The ruling will seriously impact Springfield, where about one-fourth of the population is Haitian. Many are bracing for raids.
- Without TPS, thousands will be living here illegally, unable to work or renew a driver's license, and without homes to return to in Haiti.
- Some advocates fear parents and their U.S.-born children will be split up.
By the numbers: About 30,000 Haitians with TPS live in Central Ohio.
- Between 12,000 to 15,000 live in Springfield, with a mix of TPS and other legal statuses.
The big picture: Thursday's 6-3 decision in President Trump's favor ends a tense legal limbo that has dragged on for months.
- In February, a lower court extended Haitians' protections just before they expired.
- Overall, TPS protects 1.3 million people from 17 countries. All could be impacted by the ruling, which specifically concerned Haitians and Syrians.
- Ohio's Haitians have been a political flashpoint since Trump's 2024 campaign, when he spread baseless claims that they were eating household pets.
Threat level: The Department of State lists Haiti under the highest "Do Not Travel" advisory due to "crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and limited health care."
What they're saying: "This is a decision that will cost people their lives," Springfield pastor Carl Ruby told the local paper.
- In a statement, Gov. Mike DeWine called ending TPS "a mistake" and "not in the best interest of the United States nor Ohio."
The other side: "The T in TPS stands for temporary, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty," Department of Homeland Security general counsel James Percival wrote on X. "This is a win for the rule of law and common sense."