Mayor attempts to ease tension over immigrants

FINDLAY — Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn issued a statement Thursday offering reassurance to city residents who may have been unnerved by the news coming out of Columbus this week about Springfield's struggle with its immigrant population. Ohio Gov. DeWine announced Tuesday that he was sending law enforcement and healthcare resources to the city of Springfield, which is experiencing a surge in temporary Haitian migrants. Some 15,000 Haitians have arrived in the city of about 59,000 since 2020, escaping longstanding unrest in their home country. During his press conference, DeWine mentioned both Findlay and Lima, saying the cities are also experiencing influxes of Haitian immigrants. "These dramatic surges impact every citizen of the community, every citizen," DeWine said. In Thursday's statement, Muryn said there are about 1,000 immigrants in Findlay, either living, working or both, and about 1,500 within the Hancock County region. She said the number is not expected to "grow significantly" due to the local housing shortage. In May, Muryn said about 300 immigrant workers lived in Findlay, most employed through First Diversity Staffing, headquartered in Springfield. Based on the experience of other Ohio communities, she has said the city's population of immigrant workers could grow to an estimated 600 to 1,000 individuals within the next two years. Findlay's population was 40,313 as of the 2020 census. The regional number of 1,500 immigrant workers has been adjusted down since May. "We all recognize this is a complex issue because our nation's immigration system has needed fixing for a long time. However, I believe it is beneficial for us all to keep in mind that the individuals that have come here legally are not to be blamed for the frustrations felt by many," Muryn said. "They are looking for a safe place to live and find new opportunities to better their lives. They are humans. Not criminals. We cannot allow fear, political rhetoric, and misinformation to cause our hearts to be hardened to people who are doing what the majority of our own families did: Come to America for a safe place and a new start." In the statement, Muryn said there has been no increase in crime in the city, and a significant decrease in drug overdoses and other crimes at hotels now occupied by Findlay's immigrant population. "We have seen an increase in minor traffic violations, but our Findlay Police Department has done a great job catching violations early, working to educate on proper driving safety," she said. "Recently, I have been in communication with the governor and the director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety on additional resources, such as driving simulators, that could be utilized for driver education for both immigrant and non-immigrant drivers." She said the local Immigration Task Force is meeting regularly "with the purpose of enhancing existing systems to meet the needs of our immigrant population to ensure efficiency and good stewardship of existing resources while assisting those who need it." However, she said the city is not funding the immigrant population. Muryn formed the task force earlier this year. It includes a volunteer group of about 60 individuals or agencies. Members include people or agencies that routinely have contact with the city's immigrant population. "We identified language, cultural education, and healthcare education as our top priorities and are currently working with local organizations and state agencies to best address the challenges our community is facing," she said. "I know that the unknown is scary and that change is difficult. I can assure you that I and the city of Findlay team will do what is necessary to maintain the wonderful community we have, continue to improve upon it and be a community of which we all can be extremely proud."