KKK flyers 'tossed' in Findlay neighborhoods

FINDLAY — Findlay's Mayor's Office issued a statement Monday afternoon about "recruitment flyers" for the Ku Klux Klan being found in city neighborhoods. Residents who have found these flyers are encouraged to bring them to the Findlay Police Department, 318 Dorney Plaza, along with information on where the flyers were located. About 50 flyers have been found so far in the city. The bulk of the flyers appeared to "have been tossed" onto residential properties off of Main Cross Street, near Portz Avenue and Adams Street, Mayor Christina Muryn said on Monday. "Based on the information we have at this time, it appears that Findlay is just one of a number of cities across the state of Ohio where KKK flyers have been dropped off, typically along the interstate," said Muryn in the statement. "We will complete an investigation to determine if any further action is necessary." Muryn said she believes the flyers were distributed in an effort to gain attention, create fear and fan the flames of dehumanization and intimidation. "This is unacceptable and not representative of our community," Muryn said. "I plan to give them no further attention. Hate will not be tolerated in our community." The flyers depict a cartoon Uncle Sam with his foot on a cage with people inside, and read "Leave Now. Self-Deport. Avoid Detention," and include recruitment information for the KKK. Immigrant status change On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that temporary protection status (TPS) for Haitians will end in August. TPS is granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security to people who are unable to return to their home country safely due to armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances. At last count, there were about 1,000 immigrants, many of them Haitians here under TPS, living, working or both in Findlay, and about 1,500 in the Hancock County region. In May 2024, about 300 of the workers were employed through First Diversity Staffing, a temporary service headquartered in Springfield, Ohio. Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE), Toledo, is advising the Haitian immigrant population to begin preparing themselves and their families for "immigration enforcement." "Right now, the biggest thing for folks that don't have a green card or a work permit is to start preparing yourself and your family for immigration enforcement," said Gwen Short, ABLE attorney. "Have a plan in place. If you are deported, who will take care of your children? Your property? If a loved one is deported, do you plan to go with them?" "Preparing Your Family for Immigration Enforcement: Informational Packets" and videos are available on the group's website: www.ablelaw.org. The packets are available in 10 different languages, including Haitian Creole. ABLE is hosting regional clinics in hopes of giving the immigrant population better access to legal advice, but Short said the need is great, and according to ABLE, resources for legal services to low-income refugees and immigrants are "nearly nonexistent" in its 32-county service area. ABLE is the only provider of these services in Northwest and West Central Ohio.