Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) stated on Monday, July 28, 2026, that the Trump administration would be making a “mistake” if it proceeds with plans to deport thousands of Haitian migrants who recently lost their Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

DeWine told CBS News’s Camilo Montoya-Galvez, “It’s not good for the United States and it’s not good for the state of Ohio.” He highlighted the positive impact Haitian migrants have had, especially in Springfield, Ohio, noting, “Springfield has been making a real comeback. 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.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly plans to increase operations to arrest and deport Haitian migrants without legal status. However, DeWine said he has “received no notification” of such a plan from ICE.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ended TPS for Haitians last year, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court last month. Prior to TPS expiration on Monday, approximately 330,000 Haitians held this status in the U.S., including about 14,000 in Ohio, according to a January report from immigration advocacy group Fwd.us.

The report also estimated Haitian TPS holders contribute $5.9 billion annually to the U.S. economy, with $91 million attributed to Springfield alone. DeWine cautioned that deporting Haitians back to Haiti would send them to a country the U.S. State Department advises Americans against traveling to due to risks including crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and limited healthcare.

During the 2024 campaign, President Trump and Vice President Vance falsely accused Haitians in Springfield of eating people’s pets, a claim not supported by evidence.

Sources