GEOFF BENNETT: The Trump administration's# plan to end temporary protected status for## Haitians in the U.S.

was blocked yesterday# by a federal court in Washington, D.C.

The program, which allows Haitians# to live and work legally in the U.S.,## was set to expire today, a move that# would have left roughly 350,000 people## vulnerable to deportation.

But the# Trump administration plans to appeal.

And, as Stephanie Sy reports,# that uncertainty has won Ohio## city bracing as it fears becoming the# next focus of immigration enforcement.

WOMAN: Thank you.

I have a right to remain silent.

STEPHANIE SY: Masked men confronting# congregants while others record on## their cell phones.

A chaotic scene unfolds at a# church in Springfield, Ohio, only, it's not real.

WOMAN: Department of Homeland Security.

Open up.

STEPHANIE SY: Community members are role-playing# how an ICE raid might unfold.

And they clearly## plan to resist, armed with Scripture and# knowledge of their constitutional rights.

WOMAN: They are supposed to not be able to# enter private spaces without a judicial warrant.

CARL RUBY, Senior Pastor, Central Christian# Church: I can't imagine what it would be like## for me if I had to leave my country# because I couldn't live here safely.

There is a lot of support# for Springfield out there.

STEPHANIE SY: Senior Pastor Carl Ruby# founded a network of churches in the## area offering support to the city's# Haitians and, in some cases, sanctuary.

CARL RUBY: I would want people to stand with me.

I## would want people to protect me.

So# that's all that we're trying to do.

STEPHANIE SY: Nancy Flinchbaugh has# called Springfield home for 30 years.

NANCY FLINCHBAUGH, Springfield, Ohio,# Resident: I'm here because I'm very## concerned about what's going to happen to the# immigrants in our community and to m.. because I think it's going to have# a detrimental effect on all of us.

STEPHANIE SY: In recent years, Springfield# has experienced a surge in Haitian migrants,## most of whom came under the Department of Homeland# Security's temporary protected status designation.## TPS lets people from countries# deemed temporarily unsafe due to## war or natural disasters live# and work in the U.S.

legally.

The Trump administration has tried to terminate# TPS status for 11 countries in his second term.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the# United States: In Springfield,## they're eating the dogs, the people# that came in.

They're eating the cats.

STEPHANIE SY: And the president has had# Springfield's Haitian population in his sights## since the 2024 election, when the city became a# political flash point and focus of misinformation.

If the Trump administration's# decision not to renew TPS for## Haiti is ultimately allowed by the# Supreme Court, many of the city's## roughly 15,000 Haitian residents will# become subject to deportation orders.

VILES DORSAINVIL, Haitian Support Center: The USA## that used to be seen as the beacon# of the wor.. STEPHANIE SY: Viles Dorsainvil is originally# from Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince,## and moved to Springfield in 2021.

He runs# the Haitian Support Center in Springfield.

VILES DORSAINVIL: I'm afraid of folks# being detained for no reason.

I'm afraid## of seeing parents being separated from their kids.

STEPHANIE SY: Despite the Homeland Security# Secretary Kristi Noem's determination that## Haiti no longer meets the criteria for TPS,# the U.S.

State Department has a do not travel## for any reason advisory for the country due# to kidnapping, crime, terrorism and unrest.## And the FAA has a ban on commercial flights to# its main airport in place at least until March.

VILES DORSAINVIL: I think that the American# people who've been enjoying their country not## having those type of problems that immigrants have# would not understand what we are going through.

If## they were living in a condition where they feel# insecure by armed hoodlums, if they were in a## condition where they wouldn't be able to feed# their kids, if they were in a condition where## they were persecuted by their own government,# wouldn't they try to get to somewhere safer?

STEPHANIE SY: A federal judge sided with# that view yesterday.

In a challenge to the## Trump administration's move to end TPS,# D.C.

District Judge Ana Reyes wrote that## the decision appeared driven by hostility# to nonwhite immigrants, and she called the## termination of TPS preordained and not based# on the realities on the ground in Haiti.

The Trump administration is expected to# file an immediate appeal.

Ultimately,## their fate could end up decided by# the Supreme Court.

But not everyone## in Springfield would be upset# to see Haitian migrants leave.

LAURA ROSENBERGER, Executive Chairman, the Clark# County, Ohio, Republican Party: There's definitely## a resentment in Clark County, and that's# the tens.. Oh, here's a good one.

STEPHANIE SY: Laura Rosenberger has# lived in Sprin.. and is the executive chairman of the Clark# County Republican Party.

She says many in## Springfield were taken off guard by the arrival# of such a large number of Haitian immigrants.

LAURA ROSENBERGER: I think a lot of the people,# the native people, feel like they were not asked.## It was not put to a vote.

The people had# no voice.

All of a sudden, this happened.

STEPHANIE SY: And she says the surge IN# population led some Ohioans to feel pushed aside.

LAURA ROSENBERGER: There's a lot of competition# for jobs.

And when you bring in such a large## amount of people, that increases the# friction because people are fighting## each other for jobs and resources.

The# wages that the Haitians will work for## are much lower than what your typical# American worker is going to work for.

STEPHANIE SY: But if these manufacturing# companies lose their workers, might that## lead to a greater shift away from areas like yours# that have already lost so much of their industry?

LAURA ROSENBERGER: Well, we need our# people to step up and apply for these## jobs and the manufacturers need to hire# them, even if it means hiring them for a## little bit of a higher wage than what# the Haitians would have worked for.

MELANIE WILT, Former Clark County,# Ohio, Commissioner: When you see the## erosion of the economy over time, you can start# to be kind of protectionist.

And then you have .. scarcity mind-set that is, well, if somebody else# is getting this, then I'm not getting something.

STEPHANIE SY: Melanie Wilt is the former# commissioner of Clark County, which## includes Springfield.

She admits the population# surge was difficult to manage at first, but: MELANIE WILT: We have spent the last four# or five years really adjusting to that,## helping to assimilate the Haitian community,## making them part of our work force.

And they're an# important part of this community now.

So, if that## were to change overnight with the expiration# of TPS, our community would have to adjust.

STEPHANIE SY: Like many Industrial Midwest cities,# Springfield lost jobs and residents for decades,## a trend that began reversing in recent# years partly due to Haitian immigrants.

MELANIE WILT: One of the goals that we have had# for a long time is to increase our population,## because increased population strengthens# the tax base.

And we have seen that## our immigrant neighbors really do# spend their money in the community.

STEPHANIE SY: But with the end# of TPS come a lot of unknowns.

What do you think should# happen to these folks?

I mean,## it's called TPS because it's# supposed to be temporary.

MELANIE WILT: Well, I'm a conservative.# I'm a Republican.

And I believe that this## country needs immigration reform, but# I think we need to do it in a way that## is respectful of human dignity.

I think we# need to do it in a way that is predictable.

STEPHANIE SY: Viles Dorsainvil says that# uncertainty is weighing heavy on his community.

VILES DORSAINVIL: They are tired.

When I say# tired, I mean, they just not know what to## do next.

They're not accepted back home,# and they're not accepting anywhere.

They## keep running from time to time and not being# able to set up anywhere.

So they are tired.

STEPHANIE SY: Tired, with no# clear place to run to next.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Stephanie Sy.