As Ohio braces for ICE, Akron airport continues deportations

Mike DeWine isn't anticipating a surge of immigration enforcement as the Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants expires, and he isn't aware of any federal plans. Still, the Akron-Canton Airport continues to host deportation flights for ICE-affiliated charters.For two years, the Republican governor has taken the national stage to defend Ohio's Haitian community from misinformation and racism. Since then, he has been urging the Trump Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to change their minds about ending TPS."Not wise, that is not a good thing, DeWine said back in February.

I think it's a mistake.About 15,000 Haitian immigrants call Springfield home. As TPS expires, about 50,000 Haitians in Ohio are losing their jobs, being forced to leave or becoming undocumented."You have thousands of Haitians who are working, contributing members of the community, contributing to the economy, who one day will be able to work and the next day will then not be able to work, the governor said.He is worried about the life they will be forced back into."The situation in Haiti is dire as I have ever seen it, DeWine said. "The gangs are controlling a good part of the country; its extremely violent.Over the past few weeks, he has expressed his beliefs to Statehouse reporters and gone on national television again to call this decision a mistake."I've made myself, I think, pretty clear in regard to the policy and what I think is best for Ohio and best for Springfield," DeWine said in June.The U.S.

Department of State lists Haiti as a country Americans should not travel to, because of the threat of "crime, terrorism and kidnapping" there.Although there have been rumors in Ohio, DeWines team said Tuesday that they have not heard of any potential enforcement surges.Leaving Ohio Haitians will be leaving Ohio, likely, by plane like the ones at Akron-Canton Airport (CAK), captured in photos by our news partners at the Akron Beacon Journal.ABJ found that more than 130 flights from Eastern Air Express, a charter company that works with federal immigration officials, have landed since late April. These planes were serviced by AvFlight, a private company. We had received tips about this and brought it up to U.S.

Emilia Sykes, a Democrat representing District 13, which includes the airport."It's not unusual for the Department of Homeland Security to …