LIMA — Mayor Sharetta Smith’s office said the programs Governor Mike DeWine recently announced for Springfield are specific to that city, but the city of Lima is in direct communication with DeWine’s office.
The governor announced Tuesday (bit.ly/4gm0Pi1) his office would send Ohio State Troopers to help local law enforcement with traffic issues and $2.5 million to go toward public and private healthcare issues that have surfaced in the city as Haitian immigrants add to the population.
“The resources and support services announced by Governor DeWine on September 10th, 2024, represent pilot programs designed to address the significant population of Haitian migrants in Springfield, however we are in direct communication with the governor’s office on this issue,” a spokesperson for Smith said Thursday. “We are dedicated to facilitating a collaborative, community-wide approach to working through these challenges, while treating all individuals in our community with dignity and respect.”
Around 15,000 Haitians have migrated to Springfield since 2020 under the federal government’s Temporary Protected Status program.
An estimated 5,000 Haitians have similarly moved to the Lima region over the last few years (bit.ly/3Zq0tRC).
The state has already sent resources to help with education and traffic training, vaccines and health screenings and translation services to Springfield, but tensions have begun surfacing over job availability, rising housing costs and strain on traffic and city services (bit.ly/4gCP5YP).
Smith has been resolute in her intention to address similar issues before they start in Lima while respecting new arrivals (bit.ly/4eU0XVg).
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
