We are part of For Columbus, a non-political, bipartisan movement of hundreds of churches and Christian nonprofits across our city, many of whom serve immigrants and refugees directly. We don't typically wade into legislative debates. However, we are doing so now because members of our churches and communities face separation from their children and communities. We're asking Ohio's Senators to protect the unity of families — a value we believe the vast majority of people support, regardless of political party or religious faith.
Last month, the Supreme Court upheld the termination of TPS for Haitians, paving the way for our government to send hundreds of thousands of people back to dangerous conditions. But there's an alternative: the Senate could pass a bill saving people from deportation. Ohio's Senate leaders should support this bill — not just for humanitarian or economic reasons, but to spare thousands of hardworking Haitians in Ohio from separation from their children, churches, and communities.
As natural disasters and violence ravaged their home country, people from Haiti sought refuge in the United States and were given the chance to settle here legally until it was safe enough to return. Although some Haitians arrived in the U.S. over fifteen years ago and have been lawfully present since, conditions in Haiti have only deteriorated since then, leaving them with no choice but to create a new home here. In that time, Haitians have become a vital part of the community in Ohio and elsewhere in the country.
If deported, some of our Haitian neighbors will almost certainly face death. Some already have: in February of this year, four Haitian women deported by ICE were found tragically decapitated. Many hope to return home one day — but right now, it is simply too dangerous.
Beyond the humanitarian stakes, Haitians have become an important part of our workforce. One study found 72% of Haitian TPS beneficiaries are gainfully employed and self-sufficient. They hold roughly 111,000 healthcare positions in the US, including work as nurses and nursing-home staff, home health care and personal care aides- work that is increasingly essential for America’s aging population.
For us, this is not an abstract policy debate. These are our friends, our fellow church members, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Perhaps most concerning to us as Christian leaders is the crisis this policy will create for vulnerable children. Jesus reserved some of his harshest words of judgment for those who cause "one of these little ones" to stumble (Matthew 18:6). Yet as DHS compels Haitians who have lawfully lived here for years to return to Haiti, the State Department simultaneously warns that the estimated 50,000 U.S. citizen children of these Haitians should not travel there. According to Lifeway Research, a prominent Christian polling and research organization, nine out of ten evangelical Christians believe immigration policy should protect the unity of the family — yet deporting all Haitians who have held TPS would produce family separation on a horrifying scale, effectively creating orphans of children who are American citizens by birth.
Fortunately, there's a clear solution, one we hope and pray Ohio's Senators will champion: the U.S. House has already passed a bipartisan bill, H.R. 1689, requiring DHS to extend TPS for Haitians.
This is not a fringe or “woke” position. Ohioans across the political spectrum have watched Haitian neighbors become coworkers, congregation members, caregivers, and friends. We're asking Ohio's Senators to act on what most of their constituents already believe: families should stay together. Passing H.R. 1689 is a chance to lead with conviction and compassion. We believe Ohioans - whether Republican or Democrat, will be grateful when they do.