Findlay works to get ahead of immigrant rumors

FINDLAY — With the debate over immigrant workers now raging at the national level, Findlay's Immigration Task Force is trying to get ahead of misinformation locally. On Wednesday, the city of Findlay published a page on its website dedicated to making the work of the task force fully transparent in hopes that giving residents access to the information will calm nerves and quash rumors. The page is now part of the city's website at www.findlayohio.gov. It includes the task force's agenda, detailed minutes, its draft strategic plan and statements from Mayor Christina Muryn about Findlay's immigrant population. There is also a growing list of responses to frequently asked questions. "We remain committed to transparency. By openly sharing the work of the immigration task force, we hope to empower our residents to engage in the conversation with the same fact-based information we are using to inform our decisions," said Muryn. There are about 1,000 immigrants in Findlay, living, working or both, and about 1,500 within the Hancock County region. In May, about 300 of the workers were employed through First Diversity Staffing, a temporary service headquartered in Springfield, Ohio. On Sept. 10, Ohio Gov. DeWine announced 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. Springfield then gained national attention when former President Donald Trump said the Haitian population there was eating cats, dogs and wild geese during the presidential debate later that day. Officials in Springfield said it's not true, and that Haitian workers are helping work its factories. Since the debate, the city has been plagued with bomb threats that have shut down schools and its municipal building. The nonprofit Haitian Bridge Alliance has filed criminal charges against Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, for continuing to repeat the false claims. Findlay's factories are also relying on immigrant workers to keep production lines running. In April, ROKI America Co., Ltd, 2001 Production Drive, a Findlay factory that employs Haitian workers through the temporary service, said its turnover rate for temporary employees went from a high of 112% in August 2022 to zero in March. With temporary workers accounting for nearly half of the factory's hourly workforce, the company had been relying on a handful of salary workers and overtime to stay operating. ROKI America produces air and fluid filtration parts for the automotive, marine and industrial industries. For Roki, headquartered in Japan, diversity in its factories isn't a new concept. The company owns 15 manufacturing sites in 11 countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, India, Japan, Vietnam, the United States, Mexico, China, Korea, Taiwan and Romania. Meanwhile, Findlay's task force has been working to help the immigrants and the community adjust. In a statement released Sept. 12, Muryn responded to the governor's announcement: "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." On Friday, Muryn said she believes that First Diversity and similar companies can be a part of addressing the national workforce shortage. "When we look at the impacts locally I think it can also be a component of our workforce going forward, but I do not believe it is the answer nor would I be a proponent for a significant increase in immigrants in a short timeframe because of the challenges it creates for our community," she said. "I am hoping that the recent attention on the need for immigration reform will create a more manageable method for immigrants to support the United States economy, while also limiting the challenges that can come along with unmanaged immigration." Muryn formed the immigration task force earlier this year to ensure Findlay can manage the current influx of immigrant workers. The task force 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. The task force met for the first time in February. Community-based education regarding immigration and cultural differences was identified as a top priority by the task force in April, but recent events have made the work even more pressing. Language and healthcare education for immigrants top a long list of tasks. Muryn has said Findlay City Schools, the Blanchard Valley Health System and Hancock Public Health, all members of the task force, say they can meet the demands of a growing population. With immigrants, longer medical visits due to the lack of healthcare records and the language barrier are the biggest challenges to the local medical community. The mayor has been talking with Gov. DeWine and his administration about support to offset the costs. Access to English as a Second Language and driver education courses are also being increased locally. "As with other challenges our community faces, the collective response of organizations and volunteers has been essential. It allows us to ensure that we are addressing issues across all of our existing systems to meet the needs of our community as a whole," Muryn said.