Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced new state support for the city of Springfield, which is dealing with significant stress on its healthcare and public safety systems due to the influx of thousands of Haitian migrants over the last several years, dedicating $2.5 million toward expanding primary care access for everyone living in Springfield.

“I want the people of Springfield and Clark County to know that as we move forward, we will continue to do everything we can to help the community deal with this surge of migrants,” said Governor DeWine.

“The federal government has not demonstrated that they have any kind of plan to deal with the issue. We will not walk away.”

The influx of Haitians to Springfield and Clark County has significantly impacted local primary care providers due to the increased number of patients and the need for more translation services.

In general, migrants from Haiti have had little to no healthcare services prior to arriving in the United States, including vaccinations.

Governor DeWine announced that he is dedicating $2.5 million toward expanding primary care access for everyone living in Springfield.

Governor DeWine has directed the Ohio Department of Health to work with the Clark County Health Department and other healthcare providers on this effort.

To address the increase in dangerous driving in Springfield by inexperienced Haitian drivers and all others who disregard traffic laws, Governor DeWine directed the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) to support the Springfield Police Department with traffic enforcement.

Beginning tomorrow morning, OSHP troopers will patrol local roads with the highest crash rates and hold accountable any driver who drives erratically and risks the safety of others.

These two new initiatives add to other support that the state has already provided to Springfield to aid in addressing the increase in the area’s Haitian population, including:

• creating a school-based health clinic in the Springfield City School District to expand primary care access for school children and their parents throughout the community
• increasing support for vaccinations and health screenings through the local health department
• allocating additional funds to the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services for translation services
• providing funding to Clark State College for services to teach English to Haitians.
• providing driving simulators and offering driver education classes targeted to the Haitian community 
• working with the Springfield School District to maximize existing resources and provide ongoing support to deal with the surge of migrant students

Because the federal government’s policies have led to this and other migrant surges across the United States, Governor DeWine also called on the federal government to better support communities that experience an unexpected increase in migrant population. 

“The federal government needs to assist these communities with funding because these dramatic migrant surges impact every citizen in the community — the moms who have to wait hours in a waiting room with a sick child, everyone who drives on our streets, and the children who go to school in more crowded classrooms,” said Governor DeWine.

“The federal government does not have a plan to give any support to the communities impacted by surges, and we have absolutely no indication that a plan is coming in the near future.”

Meanwhile, the City of Columbus has been awarded new federal resources to aid some of the city’s newest and most vulnerable neighbors. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program has awarded the city a $6.6 million grant to provide shelter for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Federal funding granted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Shelter and Services Program allows Columbus to serve rising demand for critical services from individuals navigating the immigration process.

This funding will build upon the partnerships developed during the Colonial Village rehousing effort between the city, Community Shelter Board and community partners to expand capacity to provide shelter and material assistance to vulnerable migrants who face unique barriers to gaining stability.

“This new federal funding aligns with what we are already experiencing here in Columbus– an increasing number of refugees and immigrants arriving in our community in search of safe harbor and a new start. This grant ensures that the city will be able to address the immediate humanitarian needs of these families without placing additional pressure on our existing shelter system,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther.

In total, Columbus will receive $6,682,210 over three years.

The funding will fund humanitarian services, including shelter, for noncitizen migrants who have entered the country legally. It will also provide food, transportation, acute medical care, clothing, translation and outreach services to these Columbus neighbors.

In late 2023, Columbus faced the mass displacement of hundreds of Haitian migrants housed in the Colonial Village Apartments. If the City had not provided funding to shelter the more than 1300 displaced individuals in nine hotels, Central Ohio’s regional shelter system would have been overwhelmed.

The Department of Development applied for the grant in January of 2024 as part of the department’s ongoing response and humanitarian efforts to aid efforts to this population.

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