Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has been at the forefront of the illegal immigration crackdown in the state. 

Last year, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost was part of a group of Republican attorneys general who questioned the temporary protected status for immigrants from 17 countries. He asked the Trump Administration to review whether the protections were necessary. 

Yost said that some immigrants had been allowed to stay in the United States after it was “safe for them to return home.”  

“TPS beneficiaries represent over 1 million immigrants residing in the States who are otherwise without legal status. Converting TPS into a license for long-term residency frustrates congressional aims and only increases the financial and governmental strain on States,” the letter said. 

In June of this year, the Supreme Court issued a 6 to 3 decision that allowed the Trump Administration to end TPS protections for Haitians residing in the United States. Springfield, Ohio is one of the locations with a large Haitian population. 

“Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago, it was never intended to be a de facto asylum program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades. The Trump Administration is restoring integrity to our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. 

Immigration enforcement in the Springfield area has seen increased activity since the end of TPS protections. Since then, the Department of Homeland Security said there have been at least 380 arrests.

The Department of Homeland Security sent letters to Haitian immigrants in Springfield requiring them to report to ICE office locations for an interview. Many left the interviews with ankle monitors.  

Yost’s request for the Trump Administration to review TPS protections for immigrants residing in the United States yielded results. 

Earlier this year, the Columbus City Council passed legislation aimed at limiting federal immigration enforcement. The legislation prohibited local law enforcement from entering agreements to collaborate with federal immigration enforcement. A new permitting procedure would also effectively prevent the construction of additional detention centers in the city limits. 

Yost wrote on social media, “The legislation is as legally enforceable as the media advisory. It’s a political stunt.”

During the Biden Administration, Yost was outspoken against policies that impacted or even restricted federal immigration enforcement. 

According to the Trump Administration, more than 605,000 illegal immigrants have been deported with an additional 1.9 million self-deporting since the President took office.