Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, has publicly expressed strong opposition to an impending federal immigration enforcement operation targeting Haitian migrants residing in his state. Speaking with CBS News correspondent Camilo Montoya-Galvez on Monday, Governor DeWine characterized the potential crackdown as "a mistake," asserting it would negatively impact both Ohio and the United States. His comments emerged as federal immigration authorities indicated plans to increase arrests and removals of Haitian nationals whose legal protections recently expired.
"It’s a mistake. It’s not good for the United States and it’s not good for the state of Ohio." — Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio
The federal shift in enforcement strategy was first reported by CBS News on Monday. Governor DeWine stated that his administration received no prior notification regarding the scale or specifics of the impending operation from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Hill newspaper reported reaching out to ICE for clarification, but no response has been provided as of publication.
This controversy stems from a policy decision initiated under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which led to the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. The Supreme Court upheld this decision last month, paving the way for the expiration of protections on Monday for approximately 330,000 Haitians nationwide. Of this total, an estimated 14,000 Haitian TPS holders reside in Ohio, according to figures published in January by the advocacy group Fwd.us.
Governor DeWine has consistently advocated for the economic contributions of Haitian immigrants in Ohio, and his recent interview reiterated this stance. When asked about communities like Springfield, Ohio, which has a significant Haitian population, Governor DeWine emphasized their positive impact. He noted that Haitians "have helped" Springfield's resurgence, attributing much of the city's turnaround to the migrant workforce filling jobs that had previously gone vacant. "The Haitians who are living there and [are] employed there, they came there to work and they came there because there were jobs that were not being filled by other people," DeWine stated.
Springfield became a focal point during the 2024 election cycle when President Donald Trump and Vice President Vance amplified unsubstantiated rumors concerning Haitian residents and neighborhood pets. Governor DeWine presented a contrasting narrative, highlighting the city's economic recovery.
Beyond employment, Governor DeWine pointed to broader community investment by Haitian immigrants. He noted, "These are people who have opened restaurants. They’ve opened other businesses. They’re rehabbed houses. They’ve created jobs, as well as filled jobs." He warned that losing this population would incur substantial costs for the state. "So to lose them and have them not be able to work anymore and possibly taken out of this country, it’s frankly a blow to Springfield and a blow to the state of Ohio," DeWine concluded.
Economic data supports part of Governor DeWine's argument. Fwd.us estimates that Haitian TPS holders collectively contribute $5.9 billion annually to the U.S. economy, with $91 million directly linked to Springfield, Ohio. Furthermore, these migrants reportedly pay over $1.5 billion each year in federal, state, local, and payroll taxes combined.
The destination for those who might be deported presents a stark contrast to their lives in Ohio. The U.S. State Department currently advises Americans to avoid all travel to Haiti, citing widespread issues including crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest, and a severely strained healthcare system. Haiti's original TPS designation was granted by the Obama administration in response to the devastating 2010 earthquake.
Governor DeWine used strong language to describe the potential consequences of deportation for affected individuals, saying it would be like sending them "back to hell." He also predicted that widespread voluntary compliance with removal orders would be unlikely. "Very few of these Haitians will voluntarily go back to Haiti," DeWine stated, suggesting that many would instead relocate to other parts of the country if forced to leave Ohio. "If they have to leave, they’ll go someplace else. They want to work. They want to support their family. They don’t want to go back to Haiti," he added.
As of the current report, ICE has not publicly confirmed the details of its enforcement timeline nor has it issued a public response to Governor DeWine's comments. The situation highlights a growing internal debate within the Republican Party regarding immigration enforcement strategies and their localized economic and humanitarian impacts.
