2 Ohio pastors emerge as faithful allies for Haitian migrants during Trump's crackdown

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — One grew up in rural Haiti amid the poverty and violence of his beautiful but troubled Caribbean nation. The other grew up in Michigan as a self-described “blue-collar farm kid” from Middle America.

Both became pastors in Springfield, Ohio. Both share a goal inspired by their faith: supporting the city’s Haitian migrants who fear deportation under President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown.

Reginald Silencieux, pastor of the First Haitian Evangelical Church, and Carl Ruby, pastor of Central Christian Church, share a common cause — and a mutual respect for one another. They both stood up for Haitians when Trump falsely accused Springfield’s Haitian migrants of eating their neighbors’ cats and dogs in 2024.

They offered them shelter in their churches and invited community members to join in prayer and peaceful protest of the false rumors that exacerbated anti-immigrant fears.

In the weeks after Trump’s comments, schools, government buildings and the homes of elected officials received dozens of bomb threats. Ruby and Silencieux were targeted, too. Still, they persevered.

They’ve held trainings to document and protest potential immigration enforcement raids, provided legal aid and food, and continued offering worship services in Creole and English-language classes.

And while they’ve prayed for Trump, they’ve demanded an extension of the Temporary Protection Status program that has allowed thousands of Haitians to legally arrive in Springfield in recent years, escaping unrest and  gang violence  in their homeland.

“Both of them have been great leaders for the community,” said Viles Dorsainvil, who has worked closely with both pastors as executive director of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield.

He calls Ruby a champion of migrants, even putting his life at risk to support and welcome them.

He’s grateful to Silencieux for hosting the Haitian community center in his church since 2021 and inviting immigration attorneys to meet with congregants after services.

“He prays for them; he’s fasting with them; he’s giving them spiritual advice,” Dorsainvil said.

Silencieux grew up in a Christian family, loving Jesus and wanting to serve God — just not as a pastor. Instead, he became an attorney.

But by his mid-twenties, he was preaching part-time and eventually moved to Port-au-Prince where he pastored several churches in the gang-controlled capital city.

“Life in Haiti was not easy. But it shaped my character,” Silencieux said. “It taught me perseverance, responsibility and the importance of community.”

It also prepared him for his next challenge.

In 2021, he felt called to move to Springfield, where Haitian immigrants were helping meet rising labor demands for the city’s growing manufacturing industry. He didn’t know English and he left behind his wife and children, who still live in Haiti.

Since then, he has been helping some of the thousands of Haitians who legally moved to Springfield in recent years under the TPS program. The U.S. initially gave TPS to Haitians following a devastating earthquake in 2010 and extended it several times since. But the Trump administration has pushed to end that status, saying conditions in Haiti have improved.

A federal judge recently ruled to keep the protection temporarily in place. But uncertainty and fear continue in Springfield.

After her ruling, the judge received death threats. Bomb threats closed schools, offices and businesses in Springfield.

Silencieux feels powerless at times, but he reminds the community — and himself — to keep faith.

“As a pastor, I don’t have any possibility to protect them,” he said. “Faith helps me to help the community.”

At a recent Sunday service, he recommended that his congregants stay home as much as possible in case of immigration raids. He offered a prayer for Trump and the Haitian community.

“The president is our president. He can take decisions. But he is limited,” he said. “God is unlimited.”

Ruby grew up in a Baptist family in rural Michigan and spent most of his life identifying as an evangelical and a Republican. When he moved to Springfield — and for years after — he knew no Haitians.

But tensions flared in 2023 after a boy was killed and dozens injured when a Haitian immigrant driver  hit a school bus.

From home, Ruby tuned into a live city council meeting discussing the crash.

“I was hearing one ugly racist statement after another,” he said, recalling how he drove immediately to the meeting to speak out.

“All I said was, ’We need to remember that there are advantages of having immigrants come into our community; they’re good people.’ And I immediately became the friend of Haitians in town and the enemy of anti-immigrant people in town.”

After Trump’s derogatory comments in 2024, Ruby invited Springfield’s Haitians to worship at his church. He encouraged his congregation to hand out cards around Springfield with a supportive message for Haitians. In Creole and English, it read: “I’m glad you are here. Christ loves you and so do I.”

Ruby said God began preparing him for this moment 15 years ago. At the time, he was vice president of student life at Cedarville University, a Baptist college near Dayton, Ohio, and he organized a trip with students to trace the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The group visited the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, where in 1963 four Black girls were killed when a bomb planted by Ku Klux Klan members exploded during a Sunday service.

They also visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, where Ruby read King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The letter was directed at Alabama clergy who had asked King to delay civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham.

“I didn’t know that was a letter addressed to pastors who had failed to stand because they wanted to be safe,” Ruby said.

“I made a commitment to myself that I wouldn’t do that; that if there were an opportunity for me to use my voice to help someone who was being oppressed, that I wouldn’t be silent.”

He organized a national conference of Christian colleges, hoping students could return to their campuses inspired to launch organizations focused on serving immigrants.

His work for migrants continued when he became pastor in 2015.

Working with faith leaders, he founded G92, an immigrant advocacy group named after the Hebrew word “ger,” meaning stranger or foreigner, which appears 92 times in the Old Testament.

Today, he takes pride that Springfield’s resistance to Trump’s immigration crackdown is faith-based.

“This is definitely a faith-led movement,” he said. “God loves immigrants and part of demonstrating that you’re one of God’s people is taking care of immigrants.”

He has been targeted with threats and slanderous comments. But he remains undaunted.

“I’ve never lost a moment of sleep over worrying about someone harming me,” he said. “I believe God will protect me.”

On Feb. 2, he helped put on an event where hundreds packed a church to sing and pray in support of Haitians. So many people turned up that a fire marshal asked scores to leave because the church had exceeded its capacity.

“Outside beautiful events with my family, it was the most beautiful day of my life,” Ruby said.

With the TPS program’s uncertain future, Ruby remains worried about the fate of Haitian migrants in Springfield. But he’s also hopeful.

“I think God’s going to bless our city for doing the right thing.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

FILE - Rev. Reginald Silencieux, right, leads a worship service at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Feb. 1, 2026, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao, file)

FILE - Carl Ruby, pastor at Central Christian Church, hugs Lindsay Aime during service, on Sept. 15, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

FILE - Faith leaders from across the United States sing together as a sign of support for Haitian migrants fearing the end of their Temporary Protected Status in the U.S., at an event held at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio, on Feb. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao, file)

FILE - Jean-Michel Gisnel cries out while praying with other congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Jan. 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao, file)

FILE - Members of the Haitian community, from left, Lindsay Aime, James Fleurijean, Rose-Thamar Joseph, Harold Herard, and Viles Dorsainvil, stand for worship with Carl Ruby, pastor at Central Christian Church, in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski, file)

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — At this month's Milan Cortina Paralympics, some athletes competed in shorts, T-shirts and tank tops. One skier lamented “tropical” conditions and a snowboarder complained that soft, slow snow put him at a disadvantage. And some worried about their safety.

“I’m here to represent the disability community on a snowboard, and I want to give the best show that I can,” three-time Paralympic gold medalist Brenna Huckaby of the U.S. said. “But I’m not going to kill myself in the process ... I've got two kids at home, and I'm already disabled. I'm not trying to disable myself more."

The warm weather at the Paralympics that run through Sunday has some athletes asking: Should these Games be held earlier in the year when cold weather is more reliable?

“If it were my decision, I would absolutely move the Olympics and Paralympics,” American Para snowboarder Zach Miller said.

Miller got into the sport because he saw the U.S. team sweep the debut of men’s Para snowboard cross at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics. At these Games, he wants to show kids how they can compete in sports and do cool things.

“And then it’s way less cool, because I’m dealing with, like, really terrible conditions and racing on a course that doesn’t actually show what the sport is,” he said. “It’s frustrating.”

Miller finished sixth in the snowboard cross finals, and said lighter riders like him can be at a disadvantage in maintaining momentum in softer snow.

German Para biathlete Marco Maier pushed through mushy snow wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt so he wouldn't overheat.

“We have the Summer Games now,” cracked Maier, who stayed cool enough to capture a bronze medal in last weekend's sprint race. “It is a challenge.”

The early March warmth would be “almost impossible” without the influence of climate change, said Shel Winkley, a Climate Central meteorologist.

Researchers say the places that can reliably host a Winter Games will shrink because of climate change. The Paralympics are typically held two weeks after the Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has said it's considering rotating the Games among a permanent pool of suitable locations and holding them earlier because March is getting too warm for the Paralympics.

The International Paralympic Committee is working with the IOC to consider the dates. Moving them isn't easy because of other major winter sporting competitions, but it may be necessary to ensure the best conditions, said Craig Spence, the IPC's chief brand and communications officer.

Spence dismissed complaints about conditions this year, saying courses had been excellent. But he acknowledged a future problem.

“Clearly climate change is not going to go away. We’re very conscious of its impact on not just winter sports, but also summer sports,” he told the AP Wednesday. “We’ve seen temperatures rising at Paralympic Winter Games for the last few editions now.”

Changing weather conditions challenge all athletes. But medical professionals say they can be even tougher for Para athletes.

Dr. Jaap Stomphorst, a sports physician at the Isala hospital in the Netherlands, said poor snow quality has a “big influence” on the rate of injuries and accidents among Paralympians. For example, sit-ski racers need very good snow to come down the course safely because they can’t adjust for ruts by moving their weight off the ski, and bumps can be particularly problematic for visually impaired skiers, he said. Stomphorst studied injuries at past Paralympic Games.

Dr. Sarah Eby, head team physician for the U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team, noted that athletes without a disability have “two knees, they've got all their muscles working right when they need them to work ... Thinking of our Para athletes, maybe they have only one leg, they're relying more on equipment that they can't adjust.”

Miller, the snowboarder, said warming conditions lead athletes to try to “minimize mistakes and ride conservative, because everything you're going to do is going to be punished out there on the snow.” He added: “You're worried about your own safety on course, you don't feel like you can be the athlete that you know you are."

Organizers canceled practice sessions for skiing and snowboarding to preserve the course for both performance and safety. Some race starts were moved earlier or rescheduled to another day to minimize weather's effects, including forecast rain this Saturday.

The organizing committee said it works to ensure excellent, consistent snow conditions by using advanced snowmaking systems to complement natural snowfall, monitoring the weather and temperatures, and planning for a range of weather scenarios. The committee also said competition schedules are reviewed regularly to ensure safety and fair competition.

Austrian Markus Salcher blamed himself for a fall in the super-G race, but said the softer snow also played a role. American Patrick Halgren, who won silver in the standing division, called conditions “tropical.” He said the skiing felt like surfing.

Some athletes praised organizers for keeping the courses in decent shape despite the warmth. That included American Para Alpine skier Andrew Haraghey, who couldn’t finish his super-G standing race on a course he said was far from perfect.

“We’re making it work, but it’s not ideal,” Haraghey said. “I think it’s as safe as it’s going to be. I think it’s more so that people are pushing the limits.”

Canadian Para snowboarder Sandrine Hamel said that women's events are held first in the cooler morning conditions, and it's warmer when the men compete later.

“I get the best and it’s already hot, warm, slower and bumpier,” she said. “So they get even worse than that.”

Canadian Para snowboarder Tyler Turner tries to keep the fluctuating conditions in stride.

“We’re a bunch of amputees and injured people up there. We can adapt on the fly. We’re good at this," Turner said. "For me, I’ve just got to ride and keep my eyes open and stay aware of what’s happening out there on the track.”

Graham and Peterson reported from Denver, Colorado. McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Norway's Vilde Nilsen, gold, is followed by Germany's Kathrin Marchand, 4th, in the cross country skiing women’s sprint classic standing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Tesero, Italy, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Brenna Huckaby, of the United States, reacts after finishing 6th in the women's snowboard cross SB-LL2 at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Christina Picton, of Canada, right, competes in the cross country skiing women's 10Km interval start sitting final at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Zach Miller, of the United States, from left, Keith Gabel, of the United States, and Alex Massie, of Canada, compete in a men's snowboard cross SB-LL2 semifinal at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Brittany Hudak, of Canada, competes in the cross country skiing women's 10Km interval start classic standing final at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)