Feds will give 24-hour notice for Springfield ICE surge, DeWine says

• A federal judge delayed the Trump administration's plan to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants.
• Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said federal officials promised 24 hours' notice before any increased immigration enforcement in Springfield.
• The Department of Homeland Security is appealing the judge's decision, creating uncertainty for the Haitian community.

Gov. Mike DeWine said federal officials promised him at least 24 hours' notice if they plan to ramp up immigration enforcement in Springfield, which is home to thousands of Haitian immigrants.

Haitians in Springfield were bracing for a potential surge in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement after Feb. 3, when their legal status was set to expire. A federal judge offered a last-minute reprieve and delayed the Trump administration's efforts to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants.

The Department of Homeland Security is appealing the decision, so it's unclear what will happen next. For now, DeWine said, ICE isn't launching an operation in Springfield and Clark County.

"We do not have any indication that ICE is coming in, other than what they consider their normal picking people up," DeWine told reporters in South Vienna, near Springfield, on Feb. 9. "They're doing that all over the state of Ohio. That, they have told us, will continue."

DeWine's comments came after U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes ordered the Trump administration to detail what, if any, steps it took to prepare for an ICE surge in Springfield and other areas that are heavily populated with Haitian TPS holders. The administration asked Reyes to pause her ruling while it appeals the decision in appellate court.

An estimated 15,000 Haitians live in Springfield − about one-fourth of its population − and another 30,000 live in central Ohio. Amid the legal back-and-forth, Haitians and community leaders in Springfield are contending with uncertainty and trying to prepare for all outcomes.

Tensions increased Feb. 9, when several Clark County offices received bomb threats that referenced Haitian immigrants. The incident closed schools early and prompted police to block off part of downtown as they investigated suspicious packages left at two buildings.

Similar threats emerged in 2024, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance amplified false rumors that Haitians were eating their neighbors' pets. DeWine and local officials said the claims were not true.

"We are really at a point where we don't know what will happen next," DeWine said. "But the important fact is that the Haitians who are here under TPS are still here legally under that and they can still be employed at this point."

State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at [email protected] or @haleybemiller on X.