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Haitian pastor detained by ICE at Springfield gas station, community calls him 'beloved'

Aug 20, 2025·Location: Springfield, OH

Country of origin: Haiti

Haitian pastor detained by ICE at Springfield gas station, community calls him 'beloved'
Photo via springfieldnewssun.com

Gilbert Joubert Adrien, a 41-year-old Haitian pastor described as "beloved" by his Springfield, Ohio community, was detained by ICE agents on the morning of August 20 at a Sunoco gas station on South Limestone Street. Victor Yonel, another Haitian man, was detained alongside him after ICE released Yonel's wife, who had been in the car with them. Fellow pastor Carl Ruby said Adrien left Haiti because his life was in danger and had faithfully served Christ and his congregation, calling the arrest an example of ICE's willingness to "incite panic among people who came here peacefully" and urging his immediate release. Vilés Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Support Center, said he speaks with Adrien regularly and that the two work together distributing items to people in Springfield as pastors and community leaders, warning that if Adrien is deported his congregation "will be here terrified and without their leader." Advocates with Springfield G92 called the detention "a profound wound" to the Haitian community, with member Marjory Wentworth adding it left people "deeply saddened" and "feeling even more vulnerable." A second pastor from the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield was also detained while traveling in Northwest Ohio; Ruby said he may already have been deported. Adrien's detention came amid a broader ICE crackdown that has detained more than 40 Haitian residents following the July 27 end of Temporary Protected Status, with community members also being required to wear ankle monitors and report to ICE offices.

Timeline

Aug 20, 2025—Pastor Gilbert Joubert Adrien detained by ICE agents at a Sunoco gas station on South Limestone Street in Springfield, Ohio; Victor Yonel also detained while his wife was released
Aug 20, 2025—Community advocates, including G92 and Haitian Support Center's Vilés Dorsainvil, and fellow pastor Carl Ruby responded, calling for Adrien's release and describing the impact on his congregation
Aug 20, 2025—Broader ICE operations in Springfield included attempted removal at an apartment housing a Haitian couple and infant, an arrest caught on video outside a home, and jail records showing 26 Haitian nationals booked into Butler County Jail since August 1
Aug 20, 2025—A second pastor from the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield was detained while traveling in Northwest Ohio; Carl Ruby said he may already have been deported
Aug 5, 2025—Federal court lifted stay on revocation of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians
Jul 27, 2025—Temporary Protected Status for Haitians officially ended
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