DEAR EDITOR:

I am concerned and angry with the interference by ICE goons, as ordered by the president, to deport people in cities including Los Angeles, D.C., Chicago, Minneapolis, and others. ICE might soon visit Springfield, Ohio, to clear out the Haitians who live there peacefully with temporary protected status (TPS). Gov. DeWine says he does not know if they will come, but he will have the Ohio State Patrol to back up the Springfield police and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department to ensure peace.

The Haitians came here to flee their crime-ravaged homeland. Once they received TPS, they were free to settle and live where they could find work, and there were unfilled jobs, including warehouse work, in Springfield. As yet, Haiti is still too dangerous to return home.

The Haitians have established themselves in Springfield, with some owning businesses and all working Haitians contributing payroll taxes. I learned they have been eligible to apply for health and nutrition benefits through Job and Family Services, which I personally disapprove of, but there are no documents for Haitians to register to vote. The end of TPS means they will no longer have a path to citizenship or receive any benefits.

Trump says they are destroying Springfield, although I have not heard others complain. The Haitian population has grown through word of mouth. Reportedly, some 12,000 to 15,000 people will lose their TPS on Feb. 3. Access to benefits, pathways to citizenship, and any other considerations could be lost when the Haitians’ TPS expires.

I have also heard of the violent, uncontrolled behavior of ICE agents, who wear masks, carry weapons and murder Americans.

I have heard people talk about negotiating with the government so that ICE will not rove in gangs, wear masks and hurt people. That is not good enough. I propose that all ICE personnel who work outside of border control offices and entry gates be maintained in those areas where they formerly worked.

Trump must STOP the use of these Gestapo goons in our cities. Although Americans voted for Trump because he promised control at the borders and removal of violent immigrants, nobody ever gave him a mandate to overtake our cities this way and violate our rights. Only 7% of those caught are vicious criminals. And do you realize that your tax dollars are paying for this?

Demeaning Americans has become a pet project of Trump’s. He already allocated $75 billion for ICE, plus many more billions for the concentration camps, in which people are often kept for months. Trump makes me ashamed to be an American.

LINDA COCUZZI RICHTER

Niles