“Federal authorities signaled an enforcement window of at least 30 days,” the message says. “A federal list of individual removal orders has been identified in Springfield as an initial focal point for enforcement activity, with discretion to detain additional individuals encountered who lack lawful status.”
The News-Sun verified the email’s authenticity with the district and the governor’s office confirmed DeWine recently met with Hill.
DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney said he could not verify whether the governor briefed Springfield administrators about the 30-day enforcement window and the list.
He said there has not been “formal communication” of actions by ICE or any immigration authority. He said people with TPS are in the country legally, “they are able to work, so those things may be premature.”
“We are dealing with hypotheticals right now. It would be very imprudent to give people guidance on a fluid situation based upon hypotheticals,” Tierney said. “That being said, the governor meets with Springfield officials very frequently since last summer when the issue emerged; he has met with them recently. The state prepares for eventualities, the state prepares for possible actions but we do now know what will happen yet.”
The state is prepared to assist Springfield police and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office with requests to “help keep citizens safe and keep the peace in their community,” Tierney said.
There has been no indication that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be on school property, Hill wrote. Immigrant students make up anywhere from 5-40% of the population of an individual district building, said Pam Shay, director of federal programs at Springfield City Schools at a Haitian Coalition meeting last week.
About 20% of the district’s 1,400 students were admitted after 2021 and do not have documents indicating citizenship as of the end of December, Shay said.
Nothing is definite, district communications specialist Jenna Leinasars said.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
End of TPS
Temporary Protected Status was initially set to end Feb. 3, 2026 after the Biden administration extended it, but the Department of Homeland Security announced an official termination would happen Sept. 2, 2025, saying that conditions in Haiti had improved and its immigrants no longer meet the conditions for TPS.
A federal judge recently ruled that ending TPS was unlawful, blocking the program from ending early, but an appeal is expected. TPS is still set to expire Feb. 3, 2026 as of now. Multiple lawsuits challenging the ending are ongoing.
Those who enjoyed legal protections under TPS will no longer have status unless they sought and received another form of protection, like asylum. Legal experts have continued to encourage Haitian immigrants to apply for asylum or other statuses under the guidance of a bar-certified attorney.
Aggressive immigration enforcement in Springfield once TPS ends for Haitians has been expected by some, particularly after a group of local advocates met with a representative from Ohio’s Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted’s office last year, who indicated as much. Advocates were encouraged to help people “self-deport” to a “third country.”
Legal experts, like those from Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, have expressed concerns that fears of this could lead to people self deporting and relinquishing their rights to advocate for their own immigration cases.
Following false rumors about Springfield’s Haitian residents during the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald Trump specifically vowed aggressive immigration actions in Springfield. The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has since been the focus of scrutiny over its methods, especially following recent fatal shootings involving ICE officers in Minnesota.
School district guidance
Hill gave staff guidance on what to do during the anticipated surge, including keeping school days “normal,” consistently supporting “all students without disruption to learning or operations,” sending questions to administrative staff and allowing the school administration “to manage situations requiring direction beyond standard practice.”
“In plain terms: focus on instruction, student supervision, and predictable routines. The district will handle everything else,” Hill wrote.
The superintendent reminded staff that they cannot engage in advocacy or political activity in the course of their duties as an employee, and said staff should not “attempt to interpret immigration matters.” He highlighted legal protections for student privacy and said school access will continue to be controlled and all visitors, “including outside agency personnel” will follow the district’s “entry procedures.”
Springfield school district leadership is working with county partners in the case that a student is unable to return to their guardian at the end of a school day, Hill wrote. He said the district will assist local agencies where appropriate and more information will be shared when plans are finalized.
“Educators are carrying a lot right now. When adult uncertainty enters the community, students feel it first,” Hill wrote. “The most effective stabilizer is a calm, predictable school day delivered by steady adults. That work matters more than ever.”
Ohio Education Association President Jeff Wensing earlier this month said in a statement the group “strongly opposes” the presence of ICE officers or enforcement actions near or in Ohio schools.
“Schools must remain safe, welcoming spaces where every student — regardless of immigration status — can learn, grow, and thrive without fear. No child should be afraid to go to school, and no school employee should be placed in the position of navigating immigration enforcement,” Wensing said. “The presence of ICE in schools undermines trust, disrupts learning, and creates trauma for children and families. We urge federal, state and local leaders to uphold policies that keep immigration enforcement out of schools and to reaffirm that schools are places of learning — not fear."
Statehouse reporter Avery Kreemer contributed to this report.
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