The Haitian community in the United States is facing a period of profound uncertainty. On June 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could proceed with plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. This decision has left TPS holders in a precarious position, as their work permits are set to expire on July 24, putting them at risk of deportation.
The current situation is not an isolated event but the culmination of years of uncertainty. In 2010, President Barack Obama granted TPS to Haitians living in the U.S. following a devastating earthquake that claimed around 200,000 lives in Haiti. Initially, the program was set to last 18 months, but it has been repeatedly renewed due to ongoing humanitarian crises, gang violence, and political instability in Haiti.
Haitian Communities in Ohio Under Siege
Haitian communities in Ohio have been particularly affected by the recent developments. Since 2026, during the presidential campaign, Trump and JD Vance spread false claims about Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, alleging that they were eating pets. These baseless accusations led to harassment and more than 30 bomb threats in the city, which is home to an estimated 12,000 Haitian residents.
Despite the challenges, Haitians have built thriving lives in the U.S, often with the support of neighbors, nonprofits, and churches. As the end of TPS approaches, these groups are rallying to provide assistance and solidarity. Days before the Supreme Court decision, Ohio’s Catholic bishops issued a statement expressing deep concern for “our Haitian neighbors.” They echoed a statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops assuring Haitians, “We stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer.”
The Role of Faith-Based Advocacy
In Springfield, residents have organized prayer vigils, rallies, food drives, and donations for Haitian families. Many of the groups supporting immigrants have faith-based roots, such as G92. Springfield Neighbors United describes its work as centering “love your neighbor values.”
This broader understanding of sanctuary is rooted in Catholic social teaching particularly the concept of accompaniment which emphasizes closeness to those who are suffering. This principle has a long history in faith-based social justice movements in the U.S. and Latin America. One notable example is Archbishop Óscar Romero, who was assassinated in 1980 and declared a saint by Pope Francis in 2018. Romero challenged people to accompany the rural poor amid the violence and persecution of El Salvador’s civil war.
Pope Leo XIV affirmed the importance of accompaniment in meeting migrants’ needs during his visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa on July 4, 2026. “Before any intellectual consideration or ideological conviction,” he said, “the encounter with those who lie before us, stripped of everything, calls us to be close to them.”
Expanding the Idea of Sanctuary
Throughout Ohio, groups have expanded the idea of sanctuary beyond physical protection for migrants and asylum-seekers. Organizations like El Centro de Servicios Sociales in Lorain, Ohio, worked closely with Sacred Heart Chapel to support over 200 Puerto Rican families who arrived after Hurricane María in September 2017. “Sanctuary people” helped secure housing, jobs, language instruction, translation services, health care, and guidance for enrolling children in local schools.
In, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at Corso’s Flower & Garden Center in Castalia, Ohio, led to the creation of Los Niños de Corsos. This grassroots organization, led by young people, aimed to educate the public about the impact of detention on families and communities. The following year, when 680 workers were detained in a Mississippi poultry plant, Los Niños de Corsos collected food, diapers, money, and clothes to help their families. Members of the organization drove to Mississippi to deliver the items and accompany people during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Community Support in Times of Crisis
In recent weeks, sanctuary people in Ohio have accompanied Haitians as they face the uncertainty of what is to come. With some people afraid to leave their homes, advocates and volunteers are raising money, collecting food and toiletries, and doing shopping for Haitian families. They also encourage neighbors to eat at immigrant-owned restaurants, shop in immigrants’ businesses, and participate in book clubs to learn more about immigration, Haiti, and U.S. foreign policy.
The sanctuary people who do this work believe that closeness, preparing and sharing meals, and simply showing up for mundane tasks can reassure people in need that they are not alone. Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, captured this sentiment at a rally in front of Springfield’s City Hall the day the Supreme Court decision was announced. After assuring fellow Haitians that their resilience would guide them through this moment, he told other residents, “You have welcomed your neighbors, spoken out against injustice, defended vulnerable families, and refused to let hate and division have the final word.”