Gov.: ICE must adhere to Ohio rules

COLUMBUS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers should follow proper police procedures if they ramp up operations in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said Friday.

The state is preparing for an influx of ICE agents around Tuesday, when Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants is scheduled to expire.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not provide any details on ICE’s upcoming plans.

“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in Ohio,” a DHS spokesman said. “We do not discuss future or potential operations.”

Approximately 30,000 Haitians live in central Ohio, and about 15,000 more are estimated to live in the city of Springfield. In northwest Ohio, the city of Findlay is home to around 1,000 Haitian immigrants, and about 1,500 total live in Hancock County.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been criticized by public officials across the ideological spectrum in recent weeks because of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota.

Mr. DeWine said he and members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol have met with local law enforcement leaders, including those from the city of Springfield and Clark County, to prepare for a potential increase in ICE operations.

“Our officers are trained. They know how to de-escalate situations. We expect ICE to follow good police procedures,” the governor said.

Asked if he believed ICE was following law enforcement best practices in Minnesota, Mr. DeWine didn’t provide a direct answer but did allude to the situation involving Ms. Good.

“As an example, our highway patrol is trained not to stand in front of a car,” he said.

“The reason is because that could be detrimental to that officer. It also involves some confrontation with the person in the car who is driving.”

Asked what the state’s plan is if ICE agents fail to follow best practices, Mr. DeWine said he is setting expectations ahead of a possible surge in order to avoid that.

“We can’t control what they do,” he said. “It’s important for me as governor to outline what our expectations are.”

Mr. DeWine emphasized that it’s legal to protest ICE but urged against physically intervening when ICE is conducting lawful actions.

Additionally, he said all Americans have the constitutional right to carry firearms during a protest, but he doesn’t personally believe it’s a good idea to do so.

Haiti remains dangerous

Mr. DeWine said Haitians were granted Temporary Protected Status in the first place because that country is extremely dangerous.

“The situation in Haiti is as dire as I’ve ever seen it,” he said, noting the country’s economy is “in shambles” and the police there are “virtually worthless.”

“The airport at Port-au-Prince is effectively closed to U.S. carriers because the gang members were shooting at planes as they were landing and taking off,” Mr. DeWine added.

The U.S. State Department has issued a “do not travel” warning for Haiti because of kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited health care.

Regardless of the travel warning, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has “concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements” for Temporary Protected Status.

The move is being challenged in federal court, and a decision on the matter is expected on Monday.

Brown urges for an extension

Former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat running for the seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R., Ohio), is urging the federal government to extend Temporary Protected Status for the Haitian community.

“As I travel the state, I hear the same thing that Gov. DeWine has heard from Ohioans — they are concerned about their Haitian neighbors and about the economic impact the expiration of TPS for Haitian-Americans will have on their communities,” Mr. Brown said. “Haitian-Americans don’t have a safe place to return to in Haiti, and our communities across Ohio depend on them to help our local economy thrive.”

Mr. Husted did not provide a comment addressing TPS for Haitians, but U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio) responded to Mr. Brown’s statement on social media.

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Mr. Moreno said.

“Voters are sick of liberal Democrats like you selling out American workers for cheap migrant labor every time. That’s why you got fired,” he continued. “This isn’t hard — Temporary Protected Status was always TEMPORARY. Now it’s time to go home.”

ACLU, protesters decrying ICE

J. Bennett Guess, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, urged state and local elected officials to do everything in their power to protect the Haitians living in Ohio.

“This despicable surge in lawless ICE officers descending upon Springfield will ignite swells of fear within the Haitian community, terrorize our Black and brown neighbors, and cause considerable damage to citizens and noncitizens alike,” Mr. Guess said.

“Following the government’s senseless, brutal killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, it is clear that ICE poses a grave threat to all who call Ohio home,” he continued. “We the people must rein in ICE abuses before anyone else is hurt or killed.”

Approximately 250 anti-ICE protesters gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse on Friday afternoon, with many holding signs that read “Stop ICE terror now.”

Contact Danny Eldredge at deldredge@theblade.com