BS BRIEF:
- ICE is preparing a major enforcement operation targeting Haitian nationals expected to lose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end the decades-old designation. Operations could begin this week, according to multiple federal sources.
- Ohio—particularly Springfield, home to one of the nation’s largest Haitian communities—is expected to be a major focus of enforcement efforts as ICE prepares for arrests and deportations.
- The operation could become one of the largest immigration enforcement actions of Trump’s second term and marks a major shift from temporary legal protection back to standard immigration enforcement.
ICE PREPARES MAJOR HAITIAN ENFORCEMENT PUSH AS SUPREME COURT CLEARS WAY FOR TPS TO END
The Trump administration is preparing what could become one of its largest immigration enforcement operations since returning to office.
Multiple federal law enforcement sources say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to dramatically expand operations targeting Haitian nationals who are expected to lose Temporary Protected Status following last month’s Supreme Court ruling allowing the administration to terminate the program. Officials say the operation could begin as early as this week.
According to federal sources, Ohio is expected to become one of the primary areas of focus, particularly Springfield, where a large Haitian population settled over the past several years. ICE leadership has reportedly already been briefed on operational plans.
The Supreme Court ruled that the executive branch has broad authority to end TPS designations and that those decisions generally are not subject to judicial review. The ruling affects more than 300,000 Haitians who had been permitted to live and work legally in the United States under protections first granted after Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake.
Temporary Protected Status allows nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances to remain and work legally in the United States for limited periods. The Trump administration has argued that the designation was never intended to become a permanent immigration status.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson praised the Supreme Court’s decision shortly after it was issued.
“Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what President Trump has always maintained: Temporary Protected Status is, by definition, temporary. It was never intended to be a pathway to permanent status or legal residency.”
She added that the administration is “lawfully end[ing] the egregious abuses to our immigration system that have hurt Americans for years.” Department of Homeland Security General Counsel James Percival echoed that message.
“The Court vindicates DHS yet again. The T in TPS stands for TEMPORARY, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty. This is a win for the rule of law and common sense.”
Springfield, Ohio, once again finds itself at the center of the national immigration debate. Local public media estimate roughly 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians have settled in the Springfield area, with many receiving TPS protections after arriving legally under federal immigration programs. Community leaders have warned that ending TPS could create labor shortages, disrupt local businesses and separate families, while supporters of the administration argue immigration laws must ultimately be enforced once legal protections expire.
Immigration advocates continue to argue that Haiti remains engulfed in gang violence, political instability and humanitarian collapse, making deportations dangerous for many returning migrants.
Federal officials counter that the Supreme Court has settled the legal question surrounding TPS authority, leaving DHS responsible for carrying out existing immigration law.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Fox News — ICE prepares major operation targeting Haitians losing TPS after Supreme Court ruling
- CBS News — ICE plans to target Haitians as Temporary Protected Status is set to end, sources say
- Ideastream Public Media — Here’s what to know about TPS, the Supreme Court and Haitians in Ohio
- American Immigration Lawyers Association — Practice Alert: Supreme Court Rules Against Haitian and Syrian TPS Beneficiaries
- WOSU Public Media — Ohio Haitian immigrants’ work permits in legal limbo as TPS deadline looms
