“Deputies at the Clark County Sheriff’s Office do not have the authority to enforce civil federal immigration laws (such as TPS overstays). Our operations will be governed by the U.S. Constitution, the Ohio Constitution and Ohio laws, not public opinion or politics,” he said.
TPS is the legal way in which many of Springfield’s 10-15,000 Haitians are in the country, and is set to expire after Tuesday. If the status is ended, hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants in the country will now be living here illegally.
Clark said he’s been in contact with the Department of Homeland Security but not specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“At this time, they have not confirmed any operations destined for Springfield,” Clark told the News-Sun. “DHS/ICE have not confirmed with my office any plans to come to Springfield or Clark County in general.”
However, Clark said if DHS, ICE or any law enforcement agency comes to conduct law enforcement business, the CCSO “stands ready to assure that the peace is kept across Clark County and that all law enforcement operates safely and appropriately.”
State and Springfield officials have said they also haven’t received any indication from the federal government what will happen, but are preparing for the potential of federal immigration enforcement operations.
Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott said at a December town hall that anyone concerned about whether a masked person acting as immigration enforcement in an actual official should call Springfield police to verify. She said videos of interactions could be helpful.
Springfield police will also follow the law and cooperate with federal law enforcement where required to keep the public safe, Elliott said at the town hall. This includes protecting the safety of federal law enforcement and the public.
TPS was initially set to end Feb. 3, 2026 after the Biden administration extended it, but the Department of Homeland Security announced an official termination would happen Sept. 2, 2025, saying that conditions in Haiti had improved and its immigrants no longer meet the conditions for TPS.
A federal judge recently ruled that ending TPS was unlawful, blocking the program from ending early, but an appeal is expected, and multiple lawsuits challenging the ending are ongoing.
Clark confirmed there have been a few ICE detainers in the Clark County Jail but did not have specific numbers.
“When we get an ICE detainer it is treated like any other detainer we see at the Clark County Jail,” he said. “Once we have the proper paperwork in hand, the suspect is kept into custody until such time the agency requesting the detainer comes and picks the individual up.”
The Springfield area has an estimated 10,000-15,000 Haitian residents, but it’s unclear how many are on TPS versus other immigration statuses such as asylum or a green card.
