Haitians fitted with GPS ankle monitors as ICE begins crackdown in Ohio

Hundreds of Haitian immigrants who recently lost Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have been ordered to report to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices in the Springfield, Ohio, region. Many of them have left wearing ankle monitors, signaling the beginning of a deportation crackdown for the 350,000 Haitians who are no longer authorized to be in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began sending "call-in" letters to Haitian nationals in late July, shortly after the Haitian TPS program was revoked following a US Supreme Court decision, according to the Haitian Times. TPS for Haitians officially ended on July 27.


Call-in letter. Courtesy: Haitian Support Center

Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, told the paper that the GPS ankle monitors are a "new humiliation," adding that he was "crying" after his organization accompanied 10 Haitian nationals to their Sunday appointments at the immigration facility in Blue Ash, Ohio.

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians received TPS status in 2024 after the Biden administration expanded the program, with many settling in Ohio. TPS grants immigrants permission to live and work in the United States without being subjected to deportation.

The federal government offers TPS to immigrants who come from nations deemed unsafe to return to at the time. However, the program is meant to be temporary, not permanent.

"Temporary Protected Status is exactly that—temporary," DHS said in a statement. "For those with terminated TPS: it's closing time. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. It's not too late to get a $2,600 check and a free flight home."

Haitians have also lost their temporary work permits in the United States following the SCOTUS decision, making it even more difficult for them to remain in the country. ICE has already begun making arrests, according to the executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, Guerline Jozef, per the Washington Examiner.

This includes areas outside of Ohio, such as New York, which also has a high population of Haitian nationals who lost TPS. "Every hour I receive a call, a text that states we have heavy ICE presence throughout the community," he said in an interview last week. "We have seen most of the ICE presence, heavy ICE presence here in Brooklyn, New York."

ICE has not provided any details about the Haitian operations, noting that the agency does not comment on active operations.

Members of the public can report immigration-related crimes or suspicious activity by calling (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.