Some of the residents of Dayton, Ohio, recently organized a protest against ICE, demanding that the controversial immigration agency be kept out of the state. The gathering divided opinions on social media, with people from both sides of the political spectrum debating the situation.
In a video shared online, protesters can be seen walking along a central street in Dayton, blocking traffic and chanting that ICE agents are not welcome in the state. Many of them were holding signs criticizing ICE. After the march, a meeting was held at St. John’s Lutheran Church.
This demonstration of solidarity with the local Haitian community in Ohio comes on the heels of the expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants, which occurred on February 3. Soon after that, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes temporarily blocked the termination, meaning protections remain in effect for now. Still, ICE may ramp up its activity in Ohio soon if these immigrants are considered illegal, as they would lose their work permits and protection from deportation.
Online Opinions Were Split on Ohio’s Protest Against ICE
Some folks who watched the video on social media defended the protesters, highlighting how important it was to fight for the safety of local communities: “I love this! The national spotlight may soon be on Ohio.” Others even said that they would have participated in the protest: “I’m about an hour away, but I would’ve gladly come if I’d known.”
While many people online defended the protesters, some people were fairly supportive of the country’s immigration policies. One of the main points of these people was that the country would be simply following the law if it sent immigration agents to Ohio. One person argued that the Haitians in the area “were on a temporary status that Biden gave them. Trump simply decided not to cancel their status but rather let it run out on its own calendar. Now, they gotta go.” Others criticized the protesters: “imagine marching for illegal aliens and immigrants who are stealing billions of our tax dollars.”
It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in Ohio, but ICE will likely ramp up its activities in the state in case the TPS for Haitian immigrants is indeed ended. If that happens, it’s possible that tensions may rise in a few areas.
