Faith leaders delivered a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine Friday, asking him to protect Haitians immigrants in Ohio who have lost temporary protected status.
Hundreds of clergy members signed the letter asking DeWine to take whatever action he can to help the tens of thousands of Haitians in Ohio, most in Springfield and Columbus. Temporary protected status (TPS) ended for Haitians in July, which ended their ability to live and work legally in the U.S. Some Haitians are now being detained, while others are ordered to wear GPS ankle monitors.
The clergy members gathered at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Columbus, and walked across the street to the Statehouse and then to DeWine's office in the Riffe Center. Rev. Jed Dearing is rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, and he had a message for DeWine.
"I ask for you in that office that sits across the street from here, with as much power as you have, and leverage as you can move to work, that our Haitian neighbors may be able to be at peace with all of us, that we might be at peace with them," Dearing said. "So we ask you that you do all in your power to end the ankle monitor program. Now unshackle our neighbors with all with all your relationships that you have built over these years. Get ice out of Springfield that our neighbors can walk freely, no longer in a tiptoe stance."
Group members said they hope DeWine can use his influence as governor to reach federal lawmakers and authorities who can change current policies on TPS and those who no longer have it.
"We urge you to use your power, the power of your office, to persuade our Ohio Senators and congressional representatives to publicly work on behalf of the Haitian people who are in our midst," said Ohio Council of Churches President Dr. David Long Higgins, who's also the conference minister for the Heartland Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Rev. Julia Joyce-Miesse is rector of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Granville. She went with two Haitian immigrants to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She said one of them sent her photos of the blisters and wounds the ankle monitor left after he wore work boots over it.
"Gov. there is something you can do. You can unshackle our friends, and you can treat them with dignity," Joyce-Miesse said. "They came through seeking safety legally, and they are being treated like criminals. But worse than criminals, they're being hunted. This is not okay. And there is no part of this that is of God or of love."
The letter asks DeWine to call for ICE to cease operations in Springfield, demand an end to ankle monitors, and support efforts to restore TPS and create a pathway to citizenship for Haitians. The letter also demands the release of detainees including Pastor Joubert Adrien, who was detained by ICE in Springfield on Aug. 20.
