“If the Government has taken no action in anticipation of the Termination, the declarant must state that,” the order says.
Reyes orders the Trump administration to file this declaration by 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Reyes writes in her order that whether DHS has taken steps to plan immigration enforcement actions in Springfield is important in weighing whether to stay her order that halted the end of TPS, which was set to expire 11:59 p.m. Feb. 3.
“Either the Government does not have any concrete plans to detain and initiate removal proceedings against Haitian TPS holders if the Court stays its decision pending litigation and therefore its own irreparable harm argument is suspect. Or the Government does have such concrete plans and therefore its argument that Plaintiffs will suffer no ‘irreparable harm’ is suspect,” she wrote.
Reyes also gave plaintiffs suing to stop the end of TPS for Haitians until noon Wednesday to respond to the Trump administration’s request that her order be stayed.
State and local officials have repeatedly said the federal government had given them no indication whether or to what extend ICE had plans to conduct aggressive immigration enforcement in Springfield when TPS expired.
Gov. Mike DeWine, local law enforcement, and advocates for the Haitian community have said they were preparing for the possibility of an ICE surge. Many people expected one since President Donald Trump himself vowed on the campaign trail to conduct mass deportations in Springfield, which is home to an estimated 10,000 - 15,000 Haitians, many of whom are in the country legally on TPS.
Here’s a summary of our recent reporting on this issue:
• Reprieve: The day before Temporary Protected Status was set to expire, a federal judge issued a ruling blocking the end of TPS. This means Haitians can continue legally living and working here while the case plays out.
• Relief: We visited a Haitian restaurant in Springfield and spoke to diners there about the last-minute reprieve. Reporter Jessica Orozco also attended an event after the judge’s ruling. The overwhelming sentiment was relief, but with apprehension.
• Appeal: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security appealed the judge’s ruling, and said it would take the issue all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Legal analysis: Reporter Cornelius Frolik spoke with legal experts about the court fight and what it could portend for area Haitians.
- Some note that in a similar case involving Venezuelans, where the U.S. Supreme Court allowed DHS’ decision to end TPS for Venezuelans to take effect even though a district judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally terminated the country’s designation.
• Timeline: Here’s a timeline of the legal case involving TPS for Haiti.
• At stake: The extension of TPS allows Haitian workers to hold onto their jobs, for now. Our reporting found Springfield had the worst job losses in the state in the last year, and some believe there are bound to be more layoffs and job cuts if Haitian nationals in the community lose their work permits.
• Support: Meanwhile, groups continue to look for ways to support the Haitian community.
• Public opinion: Springfield area residents are divided on the issue, according to responses to an online survey by this news outlet.
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