More Springfield Haitians Detained as ICE Encounters Spike

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Haitian community in Springfield faced a rapidly developing immigration enforcement operation Thursday afternoon, with residents reporting that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stopped and detained family members, The Haitian Times reported Aug. 13, 2026. Two community leaders, Mia Perez and Vilès Dorsainvil, confirmed ICE officers were in town picking up Haitians. "ICE has picked up more than 30 people at their homes," said Perez, founder of Voices of Immigrants. Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Support Center, said residents were being stopped and asked for proof of lawful status, including his younger brother, who was asked to show his green card. He said at least one person was detained in a parking lot while returning from work, and one couple from a local church was also detained. The Haitian Times said it had not independently verified accounts of door-to-door checks, and that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security had not responded. The reports follow the termination of TPS for Haitians and heightened enforcement in Ohio. Perez said residents reported self-harm incidents, alleging three suicides and others hospitalized. At Rose Goute Restaurant, a worker said no customers had come in: "Everyone's at home praying. Everyone's scared."