“We know that immigrants are vital to Ohio’s economy, and the loss of lawful work authorization for thousands of immigrant workers — in Springfield and across the state — will likely exacerbate the economic slowdown we’re starting to observe statewide," said Molly Bryden, researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, a liberal leaning nonprofit research organization.
“However, immigrants aren’t just an economic asset to the state — they’re our friends and neighbors, and they contribute to their communities and the state in many ways, no different from the community members who were born here."
A 21-year-old Haitian factory worker recently told this news outlet that he has no idea what he will do if he gets laid off.
“If you don’t have no job, how will you make money? How will you be able to pay your rent?” said the Springfield resident, who works for a major online retailer and who did not want to provide his name. “Without money ... it’ll be rough for Haitians.”
Jobs gone
The Springfield metro area lost 1,100 jobs between December 2024 and December 2025, says new preliminary survey data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In the last year, overall employment in the metro area (which covers all of Clark County) has fallen to about 48,000 workers, and the 2.2% decrease was by far the largest job reduction of Ohio’s 11 metro areas, federal labor data indicate. The data is preliminary and subject to revision, but December’s year-over-year decline was in line with employment estimates from earlier months in 2025.
Most of the Springfield metro area’s job reductions have been concentrated in manufacturing. The sector shed 900 workers in the last year, equating to a 13% decrease in employment. About 5,800 people in the Springfield region worked in manufacturing in December 2025.
Year over year, two other sectors saw declines. Clark County’s leisure and hospitality industry lost 200 workers (-4%), and government payrolls declined by the same number (-3%).
TPS termination
Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has terminated TPS for Haiti, a Caribbean country of 12 million people. The designation expires at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, unless litigation prevents that from happening.
TPS beneficiaries are eligible to receive work authorization permits and cannot be removed by DHS. That changes when TPS expires.
A 41-year-old Haitian man in Springfield told this news outlet he was recently laid off by a local trucking company and he will not be allowed back if he cannot provide updated work authorization verification. Another Haitian individual who has a job at a local warehouse said there will be a lot of unemployed residents if their work permissions are not extended.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Other Haitian TPS holders interviewed by the Dayton Daily News and the Springfield Sun-News work at or own local restaurants, retail stores, markets and other establishments. The city of Springfield says Haitian immigrants have opened at least 10 new businesses, including seven markets, a couple of restaurants and a food truck.
It’s unclear how many Haitian nationals live in Clark County and southwest Ohio and how many of these residents have jobs. But there were about 26,500 TPS holders in Ohio in March 2025, and nearly 1.3 million nationwide, says the Congressional Research Service. More than 330,000 Haitian nationals across the country had TPS a year ago.
Local officials say immigrant workers are in high demand in certain industries, and they have been a godsend to employers who have struggled to fill open positions. Migrants have been employed at local warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities, as well as by transportation and service industry companies.
Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday said cancelling TPS is a mistake and if that happens thousands of Haitians who are working and contributing to the economy suddenly will be unemployed.
“It is not in the best interest of Ohio, for these individuals who are workers and working, to lose that status,” the governor said.
Credit: Avery Kreemer
Credit: Avery Kreemer
A social welfare organization called FWD.us, Inc., in conjunction with the Haitian Bridge Alliance and UndocuBlack Network, recently released an analysis that says at least 5,000 Haitians with TPS in Ohio are working, and many are employed as stockers and packers (2,000 workers), delivery drivers (1,000) and caregivers (1,000). The analysis, by a research fellow at Princeton University, apparently was based on Census survey data and other indicators.
Members of the Haitian community have had an important direct economic impact on the local region, said Rev. Tokunbo Adelekan, a pastor with Rise Community Church, which has congregations in Springfield and Miamisburg.
Across the country, eight in 10 TPS holders are in the labor force, which means they are either working or actively looking for work, says a November report by the Penn Wharton Budget Model, an initiative associated with the University of Pennsylvania. Less than two-thirds of U.S. born people who are of working age are in the labor force.
Karen Graves, Springfield’s communications director, said the city does not have verified data or hard statistics that would indicate changes in business activities, migration patterns or residency involving Haitian community members. She said, “We are cautious not to speculate or draw conclusions without reliable data.”
Haitian owned businesses in Springfield say they have seen a decline in foot traffic and sales, and they believe this likely suggests that some people from their homeland have left the area, possibly out of fear that federal immigration authorities will specifically target the Rust Belt city. President Donald Trump on the campaign trail, prior to his reelection, promised to crack down on immigration in Springfield.
Area residents say they think some Haitian community members have stopped going to work and are staying home as much as possible to reduce the risk of encountering federal officers who may try to detain and deport them.
Bryden, with Policy Matters Ohio, said it’s hard to draw major conclusions from BLS data for Springfield, but the metro area’s job declines coincide with a shrinking labor force.
“It’s possible that the growing prominence of the Trump administration’s deportation campaign in the national news cycle has generated a chilling effect, which could be sowing fear among immigrant workers and driving them out of Ohio’s labor force,” she said. “Forcing Haitians out of the labor force could have further destabilizing consequences for Springfield’s local economy, especially considering their critical role in the healthcare sector.”
DIG INTO OUR HAITIAN COVERAGE
Clark County Sheriff’s Office to ‘maintain the peace’ as TPS ends, will not enforce immigration laws
WATCH: Haitian restaurant in Springfield struggles as federal protections near expiration
• What’s coming?: After some initially warned of an anticipated 30-day ICE surge following the end of TPS, school and state officials stressed they have had no direct communication with the feds about potential enforcement actions, but they are preparing for the possibility.
• A community in fear: Reporter Cornelius Frolik traveled the streets of Springfield with a translator and spoke to more than a dozen Haitian people living and working in the Springfield area. Most of them expressed feelings of uncertainty and dread about the TPS cancellation.
• Lawsuits: Area Haitians on TPS are pinning their hopes on a couple of lawsuits that challenge the legality of the federal government’s decision to cancel the TPS designation for Haiti. Here are the details on those lawsuits, including one involving a Springfield man.
• Keket: Our reporters sat down with a local restaurant owner concerned that immigration enforcement fears could close her business. Her compelling personal story is captured in writing and video here.
• Residents prepare: More than 80 people took part in an educational event at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Springfield Thursday evening, learning about their rights and those of their neighbors regardless of immigration status.
• Law enforcement: Local law enforcement officials say they will work to “maintain the peace” amid any ICE surge, but they won’t enforce federal immigration law.
• City leaders: The Springfield City Commission unanimously passed a resolution asking federal immigration agents to follow local rules when conducting enforcement activities.
• Politicians react: Our statehouse reporter Avery Kreemer reached out to politicians who represent Dayton and Springfield at the state and national level about their views on ending TPS and an ICE surge. Read that story here.
• How we got here: We have been reporting on the growth of the Haitian population in Springfield and its effect on the community for years. This story from the archive explains why so many Haitians relocated to Springfield, Ohio.
• Community survey: In addition to reporters interviewing residents on the street, we created an online survey to gather community perspective. I’ll have a summary of responses in an upcoming story.
• Dayton action: Several Dayton restaurants and other businesses closed Friday and hundreds of people gathered in front of U.S. Rep. Mike Turner’s Dayton office as part of the nationwide protest of ICE operations.
• VIDEO: What to know about Haitian immigration in Springfield
• VIDEO: Haitian immigrant community grows in Springfield
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