Haitian Immigrants March to Ohio Statehouse Over ICE Monitors
Haitian immigrants and activists are marching from Springfield to Columbus to demand an end to ICE ankle monitors and the establishment of permanent protected status.
Dozens of Haitian immigrants and activists began a 40-to-45-mile walking pilgrimage from Springfield to Columbus, Ohio, on October 21. Led by Reginald Silencieux, the group intends to reach the Ohio Statehouse by October 24 to deliver four primary demands to state and federal lawmakers.
The marchers are calling for the termination of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ankle monitor program, the removal of ICE from Springfield, the reunification of detained Haitians with their families, and the establishment of permanent protected status. The protest follows the summer expiration of Temporary Protected Status and the August 31 death of Pierre Damas Bel, a student whose family attributes his suicide to the distress caused by an ICE ankle monitor.
While advocates claim ICE is phasing out ankle monitors in favor of a smartphone app, the agency has denied that its monitoring caused Bel's death. The pilgrimage is organized by local Haitian leadership with support from the Kairos Center and Undivided. Organizers state the march is necessary to hold elected officials accountable and pressure the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to institute a policy of dignity for immigrants.
