Former President Donald Trump stated in a recent interview that he would revoke the legal status of Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio, and work to deport them back to Haiti.
“It has nothing to do with Haiti or anything else. It doesn’t work. You have to remove the people and you have to bring them back to their own country,” Trump told NewsNation in an Oct. 2 interview. He added, “Springfield is such a beautiful place. Have you seen what’s happened to it? It’s been overrun. You can’t do that to people. They have to be removed. Absolutely, I’d revoke [the status]. I’d bring them back to their country.”
Trump also expressed that he doesn’t view the protection these immigrants have as legal.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was granted to Haitian immigrants in 2010 after a devastating earthquake in Haiti and has been extended multiple times. Trump’s administration attempted to end the designation, but legal challenges blocked the effort. Under President Joe Biden’s administration, TPS has been extended through February 2026. TPS allows immigrants from certain countries to live and work legally in the U.S. due to unsafe conditions in their home countries.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas extended TPS for Haitians due to continued violence and insecurity in Haiti. Currently, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates about 852,000 Haitians are living in the U.S., with at least 15,000 in Springfield.
Some Springfield residents have expressed frustration over the influx of immigrants, citing strain on local services, while others, like Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, argue that the immigrants have helped fill jobs and contributed positively.
Trump, who has long campaigned on curbing illegal immigration, said his deportation plan would include cooperation with local law enforcement and extend to other communities beyond Springfield.
Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her concerns about the situation, noting her sadness over school and other closures in Springfield due to threats related to the immigrant influx. “The vast majority of us as Americans know we have so much more in common than what separates us,” Harris said in September. “And it’s got to stop.”
Biden echoed this sentiment, addressing false claims that Haitian immigrants were harming local pets, which had been circulating in the community. Springfield Strategic Engagement Manager Karen Graves confirmed in September that “there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.” While a police report mentioned an alleged incident involving a missing cat, there have been no verifiable incidents of widespread harm.
