‘It’s time to be silent no more’
The majority of the crowd at St. John Missionary Baptist Church appeared supportive of the Haitian community and concerned about the impact of mass deportation to Springfield.
“I’ve heard it a lot over the last year-and-a-half, ‘There’s a silent majority, Rob, and we’re staying with you, we’re staying with the commission, we’re staying with you,’” Mayor Rob Rue told the crowd. “But let me tell you, it’s time to be silent no more.”
This was met with enthusiastic applause.
“I appreciate the encouragement, and I’m not by nature an activist...but I am a man who’s been faced with a lot of adversity and because of [attitudes toward] diversity, and I want to tell you that it is time for the intelligent voices, the people who understand the entire issue, to speak and not be silent anymore, because the loud voices in the smaller group are really loud,” he said.
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Panelists at the meeting included Rue, Springfield NAACP President Denise Williams, Central Christian Church Pastor Carl Ruby, Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott, Clark County Health Commissioner Chris Cook, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck, St. Vincent de Paul Executive Director Casey Rollins, Haitian Community Help and Support Center President Viles Dorsainvil, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality Senior Attorney Katie Kersh, ABLE Attorney Maria Otero, ABLE community organizer Biassu Pierre and Springfield City School District Superintendent Bob Hill.
More than just a ‘policy decision’
The panelists covered a range of concerns in their remarks prior to taking questions written on cards.
Pierre, a Haitian immigrant, emphasized that the decision to end temporary protected status, which is set for Feb. 3, 2026, was not just a “policy decision,” but something that will have major impacts to human life.
In her remarks, attorney Katie Kersh said while there are a lot of unknowns, people should be “vigilant and realistic about the threats of detention” and enforcement but “do not let your fear dissuade people from asserting their constitutional right to due process, whether they are Haitian-born, American-born, people of color, white people — we still have rights."
In a recent conversation with Haitian Bridge Alliance co-founder Guerline Jozef, Kersh said she encouraged Haitians in Springfield to “feel empowered to make their own decisions” and that citizens should protect “those who do not have that privilege.”
The Trump administration is creating agreements with “third countries,” to accept deported immigrants who have a fear of returning to their home countries, Kersh said. But in many cases, these “third countries” have turned around and deported immigrants to their home country anyway.
Haitians aren’t the only immigrants facing enforcement actions in Springfield, with Kersh pointing to those from Latin American countries like Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. She encouraged everyone to watch ABLE’s “know your rights” videos and to engage a lawyer in questions about their status or immigration enforcement.
American-born children face challenges when parents are deported
Dorsainvil, a Haitian immigrant, said many Haitians have been in Springfield for five or more years and now, with children here, feel “hopeless” and unable to safely return home.
More than 1,300 children have been born to Haitian immigrants in Springfield in the past few years, Cook said.
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Multiple questioners asked about separation of children from their parents and “mixed status families.” Rollins said St. Vincent de Paul is working on helping American-born children obtain passports and have custody agreements. She said in the last two days, the nonprofit helped nine minor children whose parents had already been deported.
“This is just the beginning of what Springfield is about to encounter with potentially thousands of immigrant children,” Rollins said.
With many Haitians having lost their right to work, Dorsainvil said there is a “humanitarian crisis” brewing.
Until recently, Rollins said immigrants at St. Vincent de Paul rarely asked for assistance with food, rent or utilities, instead needing employment help and guidance on immigration matters. Now, immigrants are also experiencing food and housing insecurity, Rollins said.
School, police leaders respond to questions on ICE
In response to questions about Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations at local schools, Hill said the district would follow the law and that officials would have to have the “appropriate paperwork” before action would take place “in a professional manner and a discreet manner” not in the hallways or classrooms or in any way that would disrupt “the education process.”
Springfield police will also follow the law and cooperate with federal law enforcement where required to keep the public safe, Elliott said. This includes protecting the safety of federal law enforcement and the public.
Multiple people questioned whether ICE agents would be allowed to be masked and how anyone could be certain they were not impostors. Elliott encouraged anyone with concerns in those situations to call local law enforcement.
Videos of federal law enforcement interactions could be helpful for local police as well, Elliott said.
ICE agents can be barred entry into a home or other private place if they do not have a judicial warrant, signed by a federal non-immigration judge, which is rare, Kersh said.
Some frustration of the crowd was evident, as some questions went unanswered and panelists struggled to provide clarity on an issue where they lacked definitive answers from federal authorities.
Many Black and brown residents have shared concerns about being targeted by immigration enforcement, Heck said.
“Let us be clear, everyone deserves dignity and safety in Springfield,” Heck said. “The city does not tolerate harassment, threats or discrimination. If you experience it, we want to know and we will help connect you to the appropriate reporting and support options.”
The end of temporary protected status
Temporary protected status for Haitians was initially set to end Feb. 3, 2026 after the Biden administration extended it, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an official termination would happen Sept. 2, 2025, saying that conditions in Haiti had improved and its immigrants no longer met the conditions for temporary protected status.
A federal judge then ruled that ending temporary protected status early was unlawful, blocking the program from ending before Feb. 3, 2026, which remains the scheduled end date as of now.
On Nov. 26, DHS reaffirmed that end date, providing notice on the termination of the designation of Haiti for temporary protected status through the Federal Register after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem made the decision that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements.
According to the DHS notice, Noem “has determined that there are no extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti that prevent Haitian nationals...from returning in safety.”
The notice goes on to state that “even if” DHS found there were conditions that prevented Haitians from returning in safety, DHS still believes termination of temporary protected status of Haiti “is still required because it is contrary to the national interest of the United States” to permit Haitians to remain in the country.
Haiti continues to be under a level four travel advisory through the state department, with the agency warning against kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest and limited health care.
The DHS notice in the Federal Register also says certain conditions in Haiti “remain concerning.” The notice cites UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who reported that “1.3 million people — approximately 12% of Haiti’s population — have been forced to flee their homes and are internally displaced due to escalating violence and gang violence."
The notice cites efforts from the UN to curb the gang violence, adding that “data surrounding internal relocation does indicate parts of the country are suitable to return to.”
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