Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has maintained long-standing ties to Haiti that date back more than three decades, connections that continue to influence discussion around immigration and resettlement issues in Ohio. DeWine first visited Haiti in 1995 while serving in the U.S. Senate, a trip that led to repeated visits and ongoing involvement with education-focused charitable efforts in the country.
During a 1998 visit to Cité Soleil in Port-au-Prince, DeWine and his wife, Fran, became acquainted with a Catholic priest operating a free school. The couple later began supporting the project through their family foundation. The schools were named in memory of their daughter, Becky DeWine, who died in a car accident in 1993. Over time, the nonprofit organization behind the schools expanded significantly and now operates dozens of campuses serving thousands of students, according to public records.
The DeWine Family Foundation has contributed more than $2 million to the organization over the past several years. School operations in Haiti have periodically been disrupted due to political instability, violence, and natural disasters, though officials said most campuses were open as of mid-January. DeWine last traveled to Haiti in 2019 and has since spoken publicly about worsening conditions in the country.
DeWine has cited concerns about safety, governance, and economic instability in Haiti when discussing U.S. immigration policy, including his opposition to ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals. TPS allows individuals from certain countries experiencing crisis conditions to remain in the United States temporarily. Approximately 15,000 Haitian migrants are estimated to live in Springfield, Ohio, according to local reports.
The growing population has prompted debate within the Springfield community. Some local officials and business owners say the additional workforce has supported economic activity, while others have raised concerns about housing availability, public services, and labor competition. As conditions in Haiti remain unstable, discussions continue over how federal immigration policy and state-level responses affect Ohio communities adjusting to demographic changes.