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The Bulwark, a Washington D.C.-based independent media company and political media outlet, has raised more than $575,000 to support Haitian families in Springfield, Ohio. The fundraising milestone comes as organizations in Florida confront the fallout from President Donald Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS.
The Dayton/Springfield benefit on Sept. 25 at the Dayton Masonic Center was the outlet’s largest fundraiser to date, selling roughly 1,100 tickets. The fundraising campaign supports the Haitian Support Center, which helps Springfield families with food, transportation, legal assistance and other basic needs.
“Nothing is more fundamental to our country and society than how our government treats the most vulnerable among us, whether they be citizens, immigrants, or people in the United States with legal status,” said Bulwark’s managing editor and MSNow Contributor Sam Stein, in an email to Power Broker. “The current administration has engaged in a years-long effort to demonize the Haitian community in Springfield, both with baseless lies and through efforts to end their TPS protections. Going to Dayton/Springfield was our attempt to bring a light to this saga and raise much needed awareness as to what's actually happening on the ground.”
Stein said he and his team had previously gone to Minneapolis following the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and did two shows there. Their Minneapolis shows raised nearly $1,100.
The visit sought to illuminate the experiences of Springfield’s Haitian community, which has faced false claims and efforts to end its immigration protections. Springfield is home to nearly 12,000 Haitians, many of whom are facing fear of deportation. About 56,632 people live in Springfield, Ohio, according to the 2020 census.
“Few projects are more important to our outlet and our community than this one,” Stein said.
Aftershocks in Florida
On July 27, the Trump administration terminated TPS for more than 500,000 Haitians, stating that Haiti “no longer met the conditions” for it. In 1990, Congress enacted the TPS law to allow fully vetted and eligible migrants to live and work legally in the U.S. if they can’t return safely to their home countries because of natural disasters, government conflicts or other conditions.
Many Haitians came to the United States under this order in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that devastated the island nation.
The consequences are already visible in Florida, where the stakes extend across households, workplaces and neighborhoods.
A January 2026 analysis by FWD.us estimated that 158,000 Haitian TPS holders lived in Florida, including approximately 93,000 workers. Their estimated annual economic contribution totaled $2.6 billion statewide and $125 million in the Tampa metropolitan area.
In October, Le Monde reported increased arrests of undocumented Haitians in Florida and described Miami residents avoiding work, church and school trips because they feared immigration enforcement.
And in September in South Florida, Haitian Pastor Molis Augustave was deported to Haiti with dozens others. There were several legal efforts to stop the deportation and reverse a decision by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that denied his application for permanent residence filed by his wife, who is a U.S. citizen.
Local Support
Florida’s community organizations are responding through services and advocacy. In Miami-Dade County, the Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center, led by Executive Director Thamara Labrousse, provides employment assistance, help enrolling in health coverage and community education, connecting Haitian families with resources that support stability.
The Haitian American Foundation for Democracy organizes and informs the Haitian diaspora, working with Haitian civil society to influence U.S. policies affecting people of Haitian descent here and in Haiti.
Tampa Bay has a history of sending assistance directly to Haiti. Following the 2021 earthquake, the Haitian Association Foundation of Tampa Bay and Boriquas de Corazon purchased and sent medical supplies, including assistance for Bon Samaritan Hospital in Les Cayes. Tampa’s New Jerusalem Haitian Baptist Church also served as a collection location.
In St. Petersburg, the Holy Family Catholic Church’s Hand-in-Hand with Haiti ministry reports raising more than $100,000 over its partnership for medical care and rebuilding projects. In January 2026, its Council of Catholic Women also funded and assembled birthing kits for women in Haiti.
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