Before the clock strikes 9 a.m., a line already stretches through the lobby of St. Vincent de Paul in Springfield. Casey Rollins, director of the nonprofit, watches as children race around their mothers’ bright dresses.
“It looks like the U.N.,” Rollins said. “I think it looks better than the U.N. frankly. Homey.”
The Catholic food pantry and clothing charity has expanded its services amid a growing Haitian population in Springfield. It hosts biweekly legal clinics to help Haitian immigrants apply for Temporary Protected Status, which allows migrants from designated countries to temporarily live and work in the U.S. while their home country is deemed dangerous. Haitians have been eligible for this legal status since 2021.
Michelet Dasse came to Springfield last year, fleeing political instability in Haiti. The one-time farmer wants to get a job, but he’s waiting for the proper paperwork.
“I don't have anywhere to go,” Dasse said, speaking through a translator. “I just stay with my sister because my sister supports me.”
Springfield is not the only Ohio city to attract Haitian immigrants, like Dasse, but it has been attracting them for the longest. The city has had a growing Haitian population for the last decade. It’s been an example for communities like Lima, who have seen a recent surge, to follow.
But a community tragedy has caused tension in Springfield and put both the local Haitian community, and those trying to help it, under the microscope.
A community tragedy
City officials estimate around 12,000 people have come from Haiti to Springfield since 2020. That’s more than a 20% increase to the town’s population of less than 60,000.
For a while, Rollins said her organization’s support of the new arrivals like Dasse went largely unchallenged.
That changed last year, when a Haitian man without a valid driver’s license killed an 11-year old in a traffic accident. It sparked outcry and fear over the presence of Haitian immigrants in the community.
“That's when a lot of the rebellion got above ground and got louder and louder. We started getting harassing, menacing letters,” Rollins said.
Today, I was joined by Mayor @RobRue3 and Dr. Yamini Teegala, CEO of @RockingHorseCHC, in meeting with community leaders to discuss efforts to address public services and safety concerns about Springfield’s rapidly growing Haitian immigrant population. pic.twitter.com/aaovE9x2eR
— US Rep. Mike Turner (@RepMikeTurner) August 7, 2024
The city has become a nationwide lightning rod for the issue of immigration. Vice presidential candidate and Ohio senator J.D. Vance points to the city as an example of why federal immigration reform is needed. And Ohio Congressman Mike Turner, who represents the area, has questioned the legality of the humanitarian parole program that prioritizes immigration for Haitian family members of legal residents.
A divided community
Locally, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the incident has led to an enormous amount of strife.
The 11-year-old’s family has condemned what it calls hateful remarks toward the Haitian community. But, city council meetings continue to erupt in debate.
“If you just watch some of our city meetings, it's not just racism, it's fear,” Rue said. “There's maybe some comments of racism. But it's not just that. It's also fear that there's a lot of people here and we just don't know what to do.”
Patrick Joseph, who came to Springfield from Haiti last year, said recently there seems to be less economic opportunity for Haitian people, especially those that do not speak English.
“This is the place people love the most to come because they say as soon as you come to Ohio you're going to get a job,” Joseph said. “But right now because of the language barriers, or [the traffic accident] , things [have] become really hard.”
Federal help
Rue emphasizes that the city and organizations like St. Vincent de Paul are trying to respond with compassion. But he said they need help. There’s not enough housing, law enforcement, health services or translation services to accommodate the rapid population increase.
“We have compassion for those that are here. They've come out of a terrible situation,”
Rue said. “But this wasn't Springfield, Ohio’s problem to solve.”
He’s asking state and national leaders for financial assistance for small cities like Springfield that he says don’t have the infrastructure to support waves of immigration.
Rollins, with St. Vincent de Paul, is focused on the present.
“The reality is they’re here. They’re ours. We need to help,” she said.
While the debate over the immigration reform continues, she’ll be working with immigrants like Dasse, who hope to start a life in Ohio.
