Faith Leaders Unite in Support of Haitian Migrants Amid TPS Uncertainty

Tue Feb 03 2026 17:50:10 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Hundreds gather in Springfield, Ohio, as religious leaders call for the extension of Temporary Protection Status for Haitian migrants facing imminent expiration of their legal protections.

In a powerful display of unity, two dozen faith leaders and hundreds of attendees gathered at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio, to support Haitian migrants ahead of the impending expiration of their Temporary Protection Status (TPS). The gathering, which confronted issues of fear and anxiety in the Haitian community, pushed for an extension of TPS amidst increasing uncertainties and threats of federal immigration enforcement. Key speakers expressed their faith in the judicial system as they sought intervention to protect the rights of Haitian migrants.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — In a church crowded to overcapacity, two dozen faith leaders and their audience of hundreds sang and prayed together in unity Monday as a sign of support for Haitian migrants, some of whom fear their protected status in the United States may be ended this week.

Religious leaders representing congregations from across the United States attended the event at Springfield’s St. John Missionary Baptist Church, demanding an extension of the Temporary Protection Status that has allowed thousands of Haitian migrants to legally arrive in Springfield in recent years fleeing unrest and gang violence in their homeland. The TPS designation for Haiti is set to expire Tuesday, and those gathered were hoping that a federal judge might intervene and issue a pause.

“We believe in the legal system of this country of ours, we still believe. We believe that through the legal ways, the judge hopefully will rule in favor of current TPS holders today that will allow them to stay while we continue to fight,” Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, told the packed church.

“We have been called for such a time as this to protect those who have nowhere else to go. They cannot go back to Haiti,” she said.

So many people turned up for the church event that a fire marshal had to ask 150 to leave because the building had exceeded its 700-person capacity. Hundreds joined a choir clapping and singing: “You got to put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.”

They also observed a moment of silence for people who have died in federal immigration detention and for Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were shot and killed by federal officers in Minneapolis. Some of the speakers evoked biblical passages while appealing for empathic treatment of migrants.

The Department of Homeland Security announced last June that it would terminate TPS for about 500,000 Haitians who were already in the U.S., including some who had lived in the country for more than a decade. DHS said conditions in the island nation had improved enough to allow their safe return.

As the TPS deadline looms, local Haitian community leaders express deep concerns about the wellbeing of their members, emphasizing the urgent need for protective measures. Congregants, many of whom are U.S. citizens, now fear for their parents' safety amid an escalating immigration crackdown.