Once again, Springfield is rife with political tensions and the center of international attention. What started out as uncertainty regarding Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living here and the possibility of ICE raids has devolved into bomb threats to the city, hauntingly familiar for many Wittenberg students.
Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, something that many of Springfield’s immigrant population depend on for legal residence in the United States, was scheduled to expire at midnight on February 4. International news outlets gathered in town to report on the events leading up to and following this important date.
Wittenberg first published a “TPS FAQ” page on their website. There, they provided facts about TPS, ICE, and how these things impact Wittenberg.
On Feb. 2, United States District Judge Ana Reyes temporarily blocked the expiration of TPS.
In response to the possible deportation deadline, the Hagen Center for Civic and Urban Engagement held an in-person event on Feb. 4 titled, “Student Gathering: Immigration Support and Education.” The panel of people who volunteered to answer students' questions and concerns consisted of:
- Tracey Tackett, Assistant Mayor of Springfield
- Marjory Wentworth, Director of the Writing Center and Oral Communication Center and member of the Clark County Haitian Coalition
- Kristen Collier, Director of the Hagen Center
- Gwen Owen, VP/Dean of Student Life
- Lee McCartney, Wittenberg Police Chief
- Dr. Sally Brannon, Professor of Education
- Matt West, Director of the Counseling Center
On Monday, Feb. 9, Wittenberg students were alerted via email to bomb threats in Springfield. A few downtown streets as well as city schools were closed. Campus Communications officials emailed students and said they were following the story: “Our campus is safe and secure. Wittenberg Police are in communication with local law enforcement and will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
According to the Springfield News-Sun, some of the threats said that "Haitian immigrants should be gone from Springfield, Ohio."
The next morning, Chief Lee McCartney of the Wittenberg Police Department informed students of "suspicious emails” that were being monitored. “At this time and based on yesterday’s situation in Springfield, which proved to have no validity, we do not believe our campus is at risk,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, students took to the anonymous social media app YikYak. Multiple people referenced the bomb threats that had occurred during the fall semester of 2024 resulting in a week of remote classes.
As of Wednesday, three places of worship were added to the list of threatened targets of the city. Wittenberg University President Christian Brady said, "My primary concern is for the safety and security of our campus, and we'll continue to focus on that." For now, Wittenberg remains open and classes are proceeding as normal.
