Muryn part of state talks about immigrants

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn said she has been "in communication" with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine about the city's immigrant population and the challenges being seen locally. Muryn's comments came shortly after 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. DeWine mentioned both Findlay and Lima during his press conference, saying the cities are also experiencing influxes of Haitian immigrants. "These dramatic surges impact every citizen of the community, every citizen," DeWine said. On Monday, Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost drew attention to the issue when he directed his office to research legal avenues — including filing a lawsuit — to stop the federal government from sending "an unlimited number of migrants to Ohio communities," according to the Associated Press. The governor said the federal government must do more to help impacted communities. "They (state officials) are just available to help and make sure things do not get out of hand," Muryn said. In May, Muryn said about 300 immigrant workers live in Findlay, most employed through First Diversity Staffing, headquartered in Springfield. About 1,500 immigrant workers live throughout the region, and many commute to Findlay for work. 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. "I do not anticipate it to grow further because we do not have housing. Springfield had a significant amount of unutilized housing before the Haitian population moved into the region," she said. Having to estimate the numbers is part of the challenge, Muryn said. "The federal government has a very organized resettlement process in which that information is shared with local communities that accept immigrants," she said. "That is not occurring with those from Haiti and therefore they have the freedom to move about the country, which is causing some challenges for local communities." When it comes to the schools and the local health system, Muryn said Findlay is well-positioned. The mayor formed a city task force on immigration earlier this year. 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. "Per my conversations with Findlay City Schools and with Blanchard Valley Health System and Hancock Public Health, we have the capacity to meet the demands," she said. In Findlay, the challenge is the longer length of visit due to the lack of healthcare records and the language barrier, she said. "I am currently in communication with Gov. DeWine and his administration to discuss support to help offset these costs. We are additionally working to continue to increase English as a Second Language courses for anyone interested," she said. As for traffic problems, Muryn said Findlay has seen minor traffic violations involving the immigrant population, but not a significant number. She said the city is working to address that, too. "We are working to set up some additional driver education with our immigrant population and may look down the road to have the state simulators available for our community to improve driver safety in general," she said.