Springfield, Ohio isn’t usually a must-visit place for most podcast tours. But for Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, Jonathan V. Last, Sam Stein, and Bill Kristol of The Bulwark, it was a non-negotiable.
The Bulwark, a media company that openly states it’s “on the side of liberal democracy,” traveled to Springfield on September 25 for a live show described as “an evening of politics and community among friends.”
All profits from the event were donated to the Haitian Support Center, an on-the-ground nonprofit helping Springfield’s Haitian community with food, transportation, legal assistance, and other basic needs.
It all comes amid a major United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in Springfield.
A Supreme Court ruling earlier this summer enabled the Trump administration to terminate temporary protected status for approximately 330,000 Haitians nationwide, and in response, ICE agents have ramped up arrests in Springfield, where about 15,000 Haitian immigrants call home.
Hundreds of arrests and detentions have been carried out in the area since the protections expired.
“The Haitian community in Springfield is under siege. People who came to America legally and built productive, beautiful lives now hide in their homes, afraid to go outside because masked, armed agents of the state may abduct them,” The Bulwark wrote in an update after the event.
“They cannot go grocery shopping. If they are sick or hurt, they cannot go to the doctor or the hospital. They cannot take their children to school.”
In early 2026, The Bulwark team also traveled to Minneapolis to support coverage of Minnesota’s fight against ICE and “show solidarity” for victims of state violence, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. As many mainstream reports corroborate, The Bulwark team saw a state united.
“When we went to Minneapolis last winter, we encountered a city and a state united against totalitarianism,” Last wrote in a recent recap. “Literally every person I met was outraged at what the federal government was doing.”
This was not the case in Springfield, he said.
“I wish that Springfield was an uplifting story about the power of community coming together in the face of authoritarianism. But it wasn’t,” he wrote. “It’s the story of parts of the community coming together to oppose authoritarianism while other parts stand off to the side either quietly nodding in support of the authoritarians or openly cheering them on.”
He went on to say that while The Bulwark community’s fundraising support was essential, it was only one step toward fending off injustice in Springfield and beyond.
“It is not enough to help victims. We also have to organize to fight and win power,” he wrote, alluding to the upcoming midterm elections. “And if we get power, we must use it. Without illusions or remorse.”
In the meantime, through ticket sales and individual donations, The Bulwark community has raised over $428,000 for the Haitian Support Center.
“We’re honored to do our part to help bring more attention to the outrages that our government is perpetrating in our name,” The Bulwark team wrote. “We’re honored that so many of you are part of this effort.”
On the fundraising page, they added: “Every contribution helps support the people doing this work and sends a simple message to our friends in Springfield: You are not alone.”
You may also like: Amid ICE crackdown, this Minneapolis sex shop has transformed into a donation center for neighbors in need
Featured Image: Hannah Yoest/Courtesy of The Bulwark
