Signs were few, with one reading “Peace,” another “Unity” and another “Kindness.”
Diana Boggs, who co-organized the event, said the Springfield event aimed to draw attention to the Buddhist monks through peaceful action.
The group of 18 monks are about halfway done with their walk from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. to “raise awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world.” according to the effort’s Facebook page.
“We walk so that the seeds of peace, mindfulness, and loving-kindness may be carried forward on the wind, hoping they find a gentle place to rest in every heart we pass along the way,” the group posted. “In every drop of rain and every ray of light, there is an opportunity for unity and a reminder that we are all walking this path together.”
Jen Casto, organizer with Indivisible Springfield, which put on the event, said the group is “emulating” the monks while respecting and calling attention to their efforts.
“It is an honorable feat to travel 2,300 miles over the course of 120 days for persons who generally do not leave the monastery for really any reason, but they’re just trying to show the world that the world is out of balance and that balance needs to be restored,” Casto said.
Maureen Dawn of Yellow Springs said she has been involved with and befriended Haitian immigrants, including taking them places like the grocery store and helping with English classes. As a Buddhist practitioner, Dawn said the peaceful nature of the walk was important to her.
She said supporting the community with which she has become close is crucial.
“It’s just something that feels right from deep within me, so I think that I may not have gotten out and done as much as I did if I hadn’t really felt it so deeply,” Dawn said.
Others agreed, sharing they felt the need to show Springfield’s immigrants, particularly the Haitian population, that they are welcome in the city.
Casto said the group hoped to “bring awareness that Springfield is a loving place where we love all of our neighbors.” She said the “caring majority of Springfield, Ohio” was out braving the cold.
“It’s also ... just to show that the entire city of Springfield, Ohio is not how we have been portrayed in the news on a national and international level, that we are persons here who care about our city,” Casto said. “We care about everyone in our city and especially with a focus on the marginalized and the immigrant communities right now because they’re being the most targeted by the federal administration.”
Temporary Protected Status, the legal pathway under which the majority of the 10,000 to 12,000 Haitians in Springfield have been allowed to stay, was initially set to end Feb. 3, 2026 after the Biden administration extended it, but the Department of Homeland Security announced an official termination would happen Sept. 2, 2025, saying that conditions in Haiti had improved and its immigrants no longer meet the conditions for TPS.
A federal judge then ruled that ending TPS was unlawful, blocking the program from ending early. TPS is still set to expire Feb. 3, 2026 as of now.
Haiti continues to be under a level four travel advisory through the state department, with the agency warning against kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest and limited healthcare.
Many Haitians who came into the country under the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) humanitarian parole program and did not obtain another status, such as TPS, lost their jobs when the Department of Homeland Security began terminating their statuses in June. The terminations were appealed, but a district court decision determined those here under humanitarian parole can have their statuses revoked while a lawsuit on the effort plays out.
Some advocates have expressed concerns about a forceful surge in immigration action once TPS ends next month. Some believe indications of such a surge may be in part an attempt to encourage immigrants to “self-deport” to so-called third countries, with Haiti not being a viable option.
Casto said she has noticed an increase in “hateful rhetoric” around Springfield’s Haitian population. With the peace walk, Casto said she hopes the entire community feels supported.
“I think often times those communities feel like they’re are alone and like they don’t have any support, especially from people who look like me,” Casto, who is white, said. “I just want to show that that there are persons that don’t look like them that care in this community and that we value them being here. We value their businesses. We value them coming in here and taking homes that were abandoned for years and buying those homes and revitalizing those homes and bringing their culture and their language and making our community more vibrant.”
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