Major retailers in Ohio begin firing Haitians as administration ends immigration programs

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Inside the breakroom of a Columbus Easton Walmart one day last week, Stevenson Lemartius sat quietly after his shift. He’d just received notice: Monday, June 30 would be his last day. 

After three months of working night shifts unloading trucks, Lemartius, a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holder from Jacmel, Haiti, who passed through Chile and learned Spanish before coming to the U.S.had just been told his time was up

“I did everything right. I worked hard. Never caused any trouble,” Lemartius said quietly after his shift, avoiding attention as he stepped outside the store to wait for his ride. “And now, they’re saying the administration wants me gone.”

Lemartius is among a large group of Haitian workers across Ohio who have recently lost or are about to lose their jobs at area retailers stores and warehouses as the Trump administration ramped up mass deportation efforts. Just weeks earlier, the Trump administration canceled the CHNV (humanitarian Haitian parole), catching many off guard making them illegal overnight. Now, those holding employment authorization documents (EAD) that came with the Biden-era immigration program have been told their work eligibility officially ends June 27.

But the blows to immigrant communities haven’t stopped there.

On Friday, the Trump administration also announced it was terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. The designation is set to expire on Aug. 3, with termination taking full effect on Sept. 2, 2025. Many Haitians on humanitarian parole who had applied and received TPS were also left feeling bereft, as that path to maintain legal status is now closed.

“It’s not right or fair,” said Nadia Jean-Jacques, the social service director at the Haitian Community Network (HaCoNet). “They won’t be able to pay rent or provide for food. They are affected directly. America will be affected too. If  they can’t pay rent, landlords won’t get paid. That affects the economy.”

A quiet, systematic sweep at area jobs

Workers and advocacy groups around Ohio said the job terminations have been discreet, but systematic. Over the past three weeks, at least four Walmart locations in the Columbus metro area, two Sam’s Clubs, and a local Amazon fulfillment center issued notices to Haitian TPS holders of impending job terminations.

Most Haitian workers said they were notified verbally, with no official extensions announced so far.

“They told me I could no longer clock in after the 30th,” said Nadine Elisée, who worked in stocking at a Sam’s Club.

“No severance, no support. Just ‘You can’t work here anymore,’” she added.

When The Haitian Times reached them by phone, spokespeople for Walmart and Amazon declined to comment directly on the layoffs, instead pointing to their corporate immigration policy statements, which assert that the companies are “complying with U.S. labor laws and Department of Homeland Security guidelines regarding work authorization.” The Haitian Times also reached out to Sam’s Club for comment, but the company has not yet responded.

Word of the terminations spread quickly through the Haitian community via WhatsApp groups, church meetings and hushed conversations after shifts.

Many Haitian workers have stopped reporting to work altogether, fearing detection or deportation. Others are quietly continuing their shifts, hoping no one notices their documents are set to expire.

“I haven’t told my supervisor yet,” said one Haitian warehouse worker at a local meat-packing facility. “I’m just keeping quiet, hoping no one notices. I need to pay rent, send money home and survive.”

With the September deadline looming, many Haitians now find themselves in legal limbo.

“They’re falling through the cracks,” said Roselyne Baptiste, a Columbus-area immigrant advocate. “There’s no public guidance, no state-level response, no new protections announced. Just silence.”

And that silence is being filled with fear.

“They’re erasing themselves to survive,” said a Haitian worker at a Columbus logistics company, who asked not to be named for fear of jeopardizing job prospects. “People are going into hiding. Some are afraid to even go outside.”

Fallbacks go down, anxiety goes up  

Nadia Jean-Jacques, the first Haitian representative appointed to the Columbus Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, is among those speaking out as options for the Haitians affected begin to disappear. 

“People in my congregation are asking for help, asking what to do,” she said. “They’re very stressed. I’m seeing friends I’ve been helping now out of work, out of a place to live.”

Others are reportedly going into hiding or leaving their jobs voluntarily before being officially terminated, hoping to delay being placed on DHS radar. Haitian community leaders say they’re getting calls daily from panicked TPS holders unsure of what to do next.

“Some are staying inside, not answering the door,” said Baptiste. “They’re afraid ICE will come before the deadline.”

The loss of employment comes with more than just a lost paycheck. Many TPS holders have families to support, both in the U.S. and back in Haiti. With no unemployment eligibility and few resources, they are bracing for a crisis.

“These are not people who can afford to lose a week of work, let alone their entire income,” said Pierre Nozière, an immigration caseworker. “They’re behind on utility bills, car payments. Some are couch-surfing already.”

Already, some are being funneled into temp agencies or working short-term assignments without benefits or job security. Some have been forced into off-the-books work, risking legal consequences just to survive.

The few Haitians who still have jobs are those who already hold asylum status, making them eligible for work permit renewal. However, the majority are just now filing for asylum, a process that takes a mandatory 180-day waiting period before applicants become eligible for work authorization.

“Six months with no job,” Claudine asked. “How can we live like that?”

Resources for Haitian TPS Holders

If you are a TPS holder affected by job loss or seeking immigration help, these local organizations may be able to assist:

Haitian Community Network (HaCoNet)

Free legal consults and TPS renewal workshops

info@haconet.org | 1-614-600-5530

Legal Aid Society of Columbus

Free legal aid and Know-Your-Rights seminars

1-888-246-4420

Ohio Immigrant Alliance

Advocacy and emergency planning for TPS holders

ohioimmigrant.org | 1-216-867-1800

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