Docu + Series
The Springfield Immigration Crisis

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A snowy, dimly lit street scene at dusk with cars on the road, power lines overhead, and a yellow Dollar General store sign visible in the distance.
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Emmy Award Winner (2026)

Leading up to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, incendiary claims against the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio living under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) sparked a volatile zeitgeist moment centered on anti-immigrant fear. This documentary, through the eyes of Haitian immigrants and two local pastors, investigates the true story of Springfield.

Producers: Paul Blest, Josh Hirschfeld-Kroen, John Russell, Nehemiah Stark
Cinematography: Nehemiah Stark
Editor: Josh Hirschfeld-Kroen
Supervising Producers: Meg Herschlein, Josh Miller-Lewis

Project Details

Year: 2025
Genre: Documentary Series

Award: News & Documentary Emmy:
News Discussion and Analysis (2026)

Length: 30 Min.

Country: USA

Broadcaster: More Perfect Union

A man wearing a gray knit cap and a plaid jacket standing outdoors in snowy weather, facing toward the bright sun with a clear sky. In the background, there are parked cars, snow-covered ground, trees without leaves, and houses.
Blurry view of a house surrounded by trees with bare branches, taken from a moving vehicle on a snowy day.
Person in a red and black checkered jacket with a backpack walking on a snowy sidewalk in a residential neighborhood on a cloudy winter day.
A small bedroom with a bed covered in a striped blanket, a folded towel, and a decorative pillow. The walls are painted light blue, with a window covered by a floral curtain. There's a pile of clothes or sheets on the side of the bed.
A snowy, rural road during dusk or dawn, with a vehicle with headlights on driving towards the camera and a yellow sign for Dollar General in the background. Power lines cross the sky, and trees line the sides of the road.
Man sitting at a cluttered desk in a small room, working on a laptop with other electronic devices, including a phone and a tablet, visible on the desk. The room has a window with floral curtains and a paper lantern hanging from the ceiling.
A cluttered bedroom with a large pile of mixed bedding, pillows, and blankets on a wooden surface in the foreground. In the background, a partially constructed wooden frame stands near a closed wooden door. The room has off-white walls and various household items, including a small flower arrangement and a water dispenser, are visible.
An older man with glasses, a beard, and a cap sitting at a cluttered table in a room with a brick wall and window blinds. The table has electronic components and a paper coffee cup.
People lined up at a buffet table, serving themselves food at an indoor event, with signage and a restroom door in background.
A snowy residential backyard with a small house, a chain-link fence, parked cars, leafless trees, and a clear blue sky.
An elderly man seated in a white chair and a middle-aged woman standing in a doorway. The woman has short blonde hair, glasses, tattoos on her arms, and is wearing a red shirt. They are indoors in a residential setting.