Deportation of Ohio's Haitians could spark economic turmoil

Thousands of Haitian migrants living in Ohio are worried they could be deported by the Trump administration. In August, the White House will end Temporary Protected Status for 500,000 Haitian migrants, which allows them to shelter in America because conditions in Haiti "temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely," according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. But revoking protections for this population could have a significant effect on the economy of Ohio.

What is life like for the migrants?

There has been an influx of Haitians to Ohio due to the state's large manufacturing presence. Springfield, Ohio, even has a dedicated webpage for questions about the city's migrant community. The migrants "work in warehouses, manufacturing and the service industry. Some migrants are working in professional jobs as well," said the city.

But with half a million Haitians set to lose their protections this summer, Ohio has seen renewed stress over what could happen if large swaths of the state's migrant community were deported. The state and the city of Springfield in particular are also still dealing with the backlash of Trump's words during last year's presidential debate, when he "falsely accused Haitians in Springfield of eating their neighbor's cats and dogs," said The Associated Press. The "false rumors exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment in the mostly white, blue-collar city of about 59,000" and led to bomb threats against schools and government facilities.

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What happens if they are deported?

The deportations "could be catastrophic" for the Haitian migrants and the "businesses that depend on them," said The Guardian. Many cities in Ohio have been financially boosted by these migrants; in Springfield, Haitians "have contributed to the city's housing and financial revival," while "about 1,000 Haitians are believed to live in the Findlay area, a city 30 miles north-east of Lima, where one automotive company reportedly relies on immigrants for half its workforce."

In Springfield, there could be "drastic changes to the city, especially in the business community, car industry and with housing," said The Columbus Dispatch. Both Haitian and non-Haitian residents are "bracing for a shift" in the city's economy if mass deportations occur.

Haitians were drawn to Ohio by the "potential for good-paying jobs in a place that had more jobs than workers who were able to do them," said The 19th. It seems to be making a large difference: Between "February 2020 and March 2024, Springfield tied Cincinnati for the second-highest employment growth rate in Ohio," only behind the state's capital city, Columbus. Many in the city have expressed fears that this economic prosperity could end.

People "are making money from renting to them, providing services, employing them," Carla Thompson, a Springfield city council representative, said to The Guardian. That is "going to go away and those were jobs that our plants and factories needed filled. If we go back to the same population that we had, how do those jobs get filled in the future?"