That same day, more than 300 people gathered in front of Congressman Mike Turner’s downtown Dayton office to send the message that they won’t operate “business as usual.”
The nationwide shutdown on Friday calls on “no school, no work and no shopping.” Organizers say the strikes follows Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Silverio Villegas González and Keith Porter Jr. being killed by federal agents.
The Dayton region also anticipates an uptick in immigration enforcement operations as the end to Temporary Protected Status comes after Tuesday for potentially thousands of Haitian immigrants who call Springfield home.
Dayton’s Haitian population is believed to be a fraction of Springfield’s. Despite this, local civil rights groups and activists think Dayton residents could be swept up by federal immigration authorities if ICE launches new operations in southwest Ohio.
Derrick Foward, president of the Dayton Branch NAACP, said immigrants and people of color in the Dayton region could be subject to racial profiling and unconstitutional stops.
“What begins as immigration enforcement often becomes a broader civil rights issue that impacts Black Americans, U.S. citizens and mixed-status families alike,” said Foward, who on Thursday announced a new “Dry ICE” NAACP campaign that calls on lawmakers to cut funding to ICE, with the ultimate goal of abolishing the agency.
Even if Dayton’s Haitian population is small, many city residents are still afraid right now, said Foward, who also said that ICE has destabilized communities, torn families apart and taken lives.
A few local businesses updated their customers via social media posts to share their Friday closing times.
Owners of Heart Mercantile — a business in the Oregon District — shared that businesses shutting their doors for a day is costly, but they said “silence costs more.”
“This shutdown is about reminding people that our economy, our cities, and our daily conveniences only function because real humans show up every day. When those humans are ignored, targeted, or harmed, everything eventually breaks,” Heart Mercantile shared on its social media accounts.
Fifth Street BrewPub also announced a Friday closure, encouraging customers to “to continue supporting local Dayton businesses, employees, & community members” over the weekend.
Several other businesses are keeping their doors open today, but donating a portion of sales to groups like the Miami Valley Immigration Coalition, the American Civil Liberties Union and Advocates for Basic Legal Equity.
This includes The Barrel House on East Third Street. The business said it “simply cannot afford to lose” Friday sales while also covering business expenses.
The business will donated $1 from every full pour sold to the Miami Valley Immigration Coalition, “who are helping empower and educate our at risk neighbors and communities,” The Barrel House shared in a social media post.
Winter weather saw much of the Miami Valley shut down at the start of the week through Wednesday as the winter storm emergency was in place.
Luke Swinford, the plant manager at Luna Gifts & Botanicals on Wayne Avenue, said severe weather and the post-Christmas lull in sales can be difficult for any small business. But small businesses that aren’t able to close up shop for a day can contribute to causes that help their neighbors.
He said he’s nervous for his community amid an expected uptick in ICE activity in the coming weeks. Luna chose to donate 10% of its plant sales to the Haitian Community Help and Support Center.
“This is our way of letting people know that we’ll always show up for them,” he said.
Douglas Horvath was among the more than 300 attendees at the Friday afternoon rally in protest of ICE. He and others stood among the remnants of the weekend’s snowstorm, bundled up for 10-degree weather.
He said he finds the lies spread about Haitian immigrants in Springfield shameful and feels the community needs to stand together.
“The Haitian people came here because they had earthquakes and hurricanes. They’ve been under tremendous poverty and government chaos. And they were welcomed,” he said. “We need to protect our neighbors. We need immigration.”
Dayton businesses and the nationwide strike:
Heart Mercantile - closed
Fifth Street BrewPub - closed
Blind Rage Records - closed
BRIM - Donating 10% of sales this weekend to Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
The Barrel House - Donating $1 from every full pour to Miami Valley Immigration Coalition
Rabbit Hole Books - Donating 20% of sales or $100, whichever is higher, to ACLU Ohio
Maraluna - Donating 20% of Friday sales to Miami Valley Immigration Coalition
Reduce & Reuse Refillery - Donating 20% of Friday sales to Miami Valley Immigration Coalition
Omega Music Dayton - Donating 10% of sales to the Haitian Community Help and Support Center
Luna Gifts and Botanicals - Donating 10% of all plant sales through the weekend to the Haitian Community Help and Support Center
