Protesters are planning a statewide day of action on Saturday following the Trump administration's failed attempt to end temporary protected status for Haitian refugees.
Protests are planned in at least six Ohio cities, including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron and Toledo. Posts on social media by organizers, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation of Columbus, call for people to stand with Haitians and defend and expand protected status for the group.
The protests follow weeks of similar events after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Minneapolis. ICE agents shot and killed two people who were protesting and observing ICE agents as they arrested immigrants.
The protest locations and times for Saturday's demonstration are:
- 1 p.m. at Goodale Park in Columbus
- 1 p.m. at the Westside Market in Cleveland
- 2 p.m. at Courthouse Square in Dayton
- 1 p.m. at Fountain Square in Cincinnati
- 2 p.m. at the Federal Building at 2 S. Main St. in Akron
- 2 p.m. at the corner of Talmadge Road and West Sylvania Avenue in Toledo
Columbus protest organizer shenby G told WOSU the federal court ruling this week that keeps TPS status for Haitian refugees in place "isn't going to save the day." G called on everyday people to step up.
"It's really just a further emphasis on the Trump administration's racism, but it's also a call to working people in this country that we cannot rely on the federal court system, nor on the systems in place that have allowed ice terror to not only happen over this last year, but since its inception more than 20 years ago," G said.
G said Ohioans should be inspired by protests in Minneapolis to stand up against ICE. She said people shouldn't rely on politicians to push for changes.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has spoken out repeatedly against the Trump administration's plans to revoke TPS status. Columbus city officials also spoke out Tuesday alongside immigrant community leaders.
"Let's let them talk their talk, but let's not rely on them to walk the walk. That's for us to do. And that's for us to kind of plan and strategize and actually put into motion," she said.
Tens of thousands of Haitians are estimated to live in Ohio, with many in Springfield and Columbus.
