While a Springfield Haitian pastor is finally home after being detained for 27 days, an advocacy group says Haitian immigrants are being increasingly detained.
From the beginning of January this year until July 26, Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents detained 26 Haitians from across Ohio, according to Ohio Immigrant Alliance. They have been held in Seneca County Jail, Correction Center of NW Ohio, Mahoning County Jail and Butler County Jail.
However, the nonprofit reports in a little more than a month, between July 27 to Aug 31, a total of 63 Haitian immigrants were detained across the state.
One detainee just released is Pastor Joubert Adrien. On Sept. 16, ICE released him from the Butler County Jail on bond. Adrien is now back in his Springfield home and with his family.
On Aug. 20, ICE agents apprehended him and Victor Yonel, another a Haitian immigrant, at a Sunoco gas station on South Limestone Street. Both were detained in the Butler County Jail. Adrien leads the First Haitian Evangelical Church in Springfield.
Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of the Springfield Haitian Support Center and a close friend to Adrien, was at a news conference last week and shared some of his conversation with the pastor as they drove from the jail back to Springfield.
"He used the time in jail to minister to other folks in jail. He told us that he was a source of consolation for other detainees," Dorsainvil said. "When he is by himself at night begging God not only on his behalf, but on behalf of the entire detainees and the entire community."
Adrien has a pending asylum case with the Department of Homeland Security.
As of mid September, 58 Springfield Haitian immigrants were detained. Since then, five were deported back to Haiti and Adrien has been released, leaving 52 detained, including Pastor Julio Dumano. ICE agents apprehended him on Aug. 26, and he's being held in the Correction Center of NW Ohio.
Meanwhile, hundreds of others are still wearing the GPS ankle monitors required by DHS.
However, several Haitian community leaders say they are seeing a drop in the federal agency using these tracking devices.
Obed Benjamin Louis is a Haitian interpreter and a member of the social activist group Undivided. He often accompanies fellow immigrants to the ICE office in Blue Ashe.
"Right now what I realize is that they don't really use the ankle monitor on people anymore," said Louis. "They just use an app on their phone."
Louis and others believe this change is the result of people from across the Miami Valley and nationwide rallying in Springfield on behalf of Haitian immigrants.
WYSO reached out to DHS on whether there has been a policy change to its ankle monitor program.
In reply DHS said, “ICE evaluates all individuals on a case-by-case basis to determine what level of electronic monitoring is appropriate, and the decision of what technology is used rests with the ICE ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) office with jurisdiction over that case.”
Local organizations like Undivided, G92, the Springfield Haitian Support Center and others continue promoting "Unshackle Springfield," appealing to politicians in Washington, D.C. to end DHS's GPS ankle monitoring program.
Louis remains optimistic.
"When we stand together, we can make a lot of change," Louis said. "When people come together, when we stay united, we are stronger, we are bigger, and we can go further. Our voice becomes harder to be ignored."
