‘There are no people’: Springfield, Ohio, faces loss of Haitian residents

Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post

The city’s economy has taken a hit as Haitian immigrants sequester in their homes or leave after the Trump administration canceled their temporary protected status.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The denizens of this once booming industrial Midwestern city were pining for something to rally people around when they coined the motto: “Speak a good word for Springfield or say nothing.”

It was the height of the Depression in 1932 and the slogan sought to inspire unity among those living in a place where the Shawnee once roamed, European immigrants arrived and freed Black families found a home.

Now some residents in Springfield, Ohio, say the city’s creed is being put to the test.

Since thousands of Haitian residents lost their protection from deportation this summer, dozens have been arrested, scores have lost their jobs and others have either left the country or decided to hunker down at home, out of view.

“Help wanted” ads for cooks, dishwashers and babysitters are going unanswered. Haitian residents are limiting their electrical usage as they worry about how they will pay the bills.

“I’m not sure there is precedent in U.S. history for this small a community to lose that much of its workforce and population cloistered at home,” said Tim Voltz, a Springfield resident who helps Haitian immigrants. “The situation is unsustainable.”

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