By OBED LAMY and JULIE CARR SMYTH

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio city whose Haitian migrants were disparaged by President Donald Trump last year as he pitched voters on his plans for an immigration crackdown is now bracing to defend the community against possible deportation.

Related Articles

Judge considers whether ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ challenge was filed in wrong venue

Fans toast Grateful Dead’s 60th with concerts at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park

Forensic crime labs are buckling as new technology increases demand

Officials work to unravel how and why gunman carried out deadly attack on NYC office building

Fans reel after successive deaths of Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne and other celebrities

A group of about 100 community members, clergy and Haitian leaders in Springfield, Ohio, gathered this week for several days of training sessions as they prepare to defend potential deportees and provide them refuge.

“We feel that this is something that our faith requires, that people of faith are typically law-abiding people — that’s who we want to be — but if there are laws that are unjust, if there are laws that don’t respect human dignity, we feel that our commitment to Christ requires that we put ourselves in places where we may face some of the same threats,” said Carl Ruby, senior pastor of Central Christian Church.

Ruby said the ultimate goal of the group is to persuade the Trump administration to reverse its decision to terminate legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the U.S. under temporary protected status, or TPS.

“One way of standing with the Haitians is getting out the message of how much value they bring to the city of Springfield,” he said. “It would be an absolute disaster if we lost 10,000 of our best workers overnight because their TPS ends and they can no longer work.”

In lieu of that, Ruby said participants in the effort are learning how to help Haitians in other ways. That includes by building relationships, accompanying migrants to appointments with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and providing their families with physical shelter.

Springfield in crosshairs of immigration debate

Springfield found itself in an unwelcome spotlight last year after Trump amplified false rumors during a presidential debate that members of the mid-sized city’s burgeoning Haitian population were abducting and eating cats and dogs. It was the type of inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric he promoted throughout his campaign.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in June that it would terminate TPS as soon as Sept. 2 for about 500,000 Haitians who are already in the United States, some of whom have lived here for more than a decade. The department said conditions in the island nation have improved adequately to allow their safe return.

The announcement came three months after the Trump administration revoked legal protections for thousands of Haitians who arrived legally in the country under a humanitarian parole program as part of a series of measures implemented to curb immigration. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal judge’s order preventing the administration from revoking the parole program.

Earlier this month, a federal judge in New York blocked the administration from accelerating an end to Haitians’ TPS protections, which the Biden administration had extended through at least Feb. 3, 2026, due to gang violence, political unrest, a major earthquake in 2021 and several other factors.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said at the time that the Trump administration would eventually prevail and that its predecessors treated TPS like a “de facto asylum program.” In the meantime, the government has set the expiration date back to early February.

TPS allows people already in the United States to stay and work legally if their homelands are deemed unsafe. Immigrants from 17 countries, including Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan and Lebanon, were receiving those protections before Trump took office for his second term in January.

Residents ponder what actions to take

Charla Weiss, a founding member of Undivided, the group that hosted the Springfield workshop, said participants were asked the question of how far they would go to help Haitian residents avoid deportation.

“The question that I know was before me is how far am I willing to go to support my passion about the unlawful detainment and deportation of Haitians, in particular here in Springfield,” she said.

It was something Weiss said she continued to contemplate “as an organizer, as a mother, as an African-American who was brought to these states that my ancestors in 1619” throughout the training. “So it is an unanswered question. But I’m willing to continue to look at that question. What will I do? How can I do it? And the other question is, for me, is like, who else will I bring with me?”

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a longtime supporter of the Haitian community, was briefed by Springfield leaders during a visit to the city Friday. He told reporters that the state is bracing for the potential of mass layoffs in the region as a result of the TPS policy change, a negative for both the workers and the companies that employ them.

“It’s not going to be good,” he said.

Smyth reported from Columbus, Ohio.

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON (AP) — The children’s savings program included in President Donald Trump’s tax break-and-spending cut law “is a back door for privatizing Social Security,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday.

Related Articles

Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not run for California governor in 2026

US sanctions Brazil’s Supreme Court justice overseeing case against Bolsonaro

Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help

Trump administration freezes $108M at Duke amid inquiry into alleged racial discrimination

Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged even as Trump demands cuts

Bessent’s remark, which he made at a forum hosted by Breitbart News, was striking after Trump’s repeated promises that he would not cut Social Security. Democrats quickly seized on the comment as a sign the GOP wants to revive a dormant but unpopular push to privatize the long-running retirement program.

“Donald Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just said the quiet part out loud: The administration is scheming to privatize Social Security,” Tim Hogan, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message about Bessent’s remarks.

The GOP’s “big, beautiful bill,” as the law is called, created a new children’s savings program, Trump Accounts, which can be created for babies born in the U.S. and come with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury.

The accounts can grow over time, much the way college savings plans or other accounts do, and the accumulated funds can eventually be tapped in adulthood.

But Bessent on Wednesday allowed for another option for the accounts.

“In a way, it is a back door for privatizing Social Security,” Bessent said while speaking about the program.

Bessent’s comments were striking for his casual revival of a polarizing issue.

Ever since the George W. Bush administration considered proposals to privatize Social Security more than 20 years ago, Republicans have publicly moved away from talking about the issue that proved politically unpopular and was swiftly abandoned.

Democrats at the time used GOP plans to privatize Social Security in the run-up to the 2006 midterm elections and won back control of both House and Senate in Congress.

The Democrats warned Wednesday that Republicans are again trying to dismantle the long-running retirement program.

“It wasn’t enough to kick millions of people off their health care and take food away from hungry kids. Trump is now coming after American seniors with a ‘backdoor’ scam to take away the benefits they earned,” Hogan at the DNC said in the statement.

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, AP Political Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for California governor next year, leaving open the possibility that she could mount a third run for the White House in 2028.

Related Articles

US sanctions Brazil’s Supreme Court justice overseeing case against Bolsonaro

Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help

Trump administration freezes $108M at Duke amid inquiry into alleged racial discrimination

Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged even as Trump demands cuts

Texas Republicans propose new US House map with more winnable GOP seats

“Over the past six months, I have spent time reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history and the best way for me to continue fighting for the American people and advancing the values and ideals I hold dear,” Harris said in a statement released by her office Wednesday.

“I have given serious thought to asking the people of California for the privilege to serve as their governor. I love this state, its people and its promise. It is my home. But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for Governor in this election,” she said.

Harris’ decision extends a guessing game about her political future that started after she lost last year’s presidential election to Donald Trump. Harris spent months privately considering whether to run for governor, stage another run for the White House or step away from electoral politics altogether after her bruising defeat by Trump.

She has not ruled out another run for president, after unsuccessful bids in 2020 and 2024. It’s not known when she will make that decision.

In her statement, Harris never mentions Trump directly but said “our politics, our government, and our institutions have too often failed the American people, culminating in this moment of crisis.”

“For now, my leadership — and public service — will not be in elected office. I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans,” Harris added.

“In the United States of America, power must lie with the people. And We, the People must use our power to fight for freedom, opportunity, fairness and the dignity of all. I will remain in that fight,” the statement said.

Harris would have entered the crowded contest to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom as a front-runner given her widespread name recognition, fundraising prowess and track record of winning statewide elections. Before serving as U.S. senator and vice president, she was elected state attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco.

But after years in Washington on the national and international stage, it was never clear if Harris was interested in returning to the less-glamorous world of statehouse politics in Sacramento.

Outside California, Harris’ political career has been marked by historic firsts but also disappointments.

Harris sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, but dropped out of the race before the leadoff Iowa caucuses — the first defeat of her political career. After Joe Biden chose her as his running mate, she made history as the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. In 2024, Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee after Biden left the race months before Election Day and endorsed her. She lost that race to Trump, who won every swing state.

Harris faces some uncertainty if she chooses to make another White House run.

Harris would have to convince national Democrats that she’s the face of the party’s future, despite losing to Trump last fall. She also carries the baggage of being tied to Biden, whom Democrats have increasingly criticized for seeking a second term rather than stepping aside. Biden’s legacy was tarnished as he left office, and since then new questions have swirled about his physical and mental abilities as his term ended.

The 2028 presidential contest is expected to attract a large field, which could potentially include Newsom. Any candidate will have to unify a fractious Democratic Party with low approval ratings that is struggling to slow Trump’s agenda in Washington.

In her most extensive public remarks since leaving office in January, Harris said in a San Francisco speech that Trump’s leadership represented a “ wholesale abandonment ” of American ideals.

Harris’ decision not to seek the governorship keeps the contest to replace Newsom wide open. The Democratic field includes former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra and a handful of state officeholders.

By JAMES BROOKS, Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Facing complex bureaucracy at home in Poland, Magdalena Kujawińska and her Colombian fiancé Heinner Valenzuela traveled to Copenhagen to become husband and wife.

“We realized that it’s not that easy to get married in Poland,” the 30-year-old Kujawińska said as the couple waited for their 10-minute ceremony at the Danish capital’s 19th-century City Hall.

“You need a certificate that you are not married,” she said. “We tried to get it from Colombia, but it’s only valid for three months, and it couldn’t get to Poland from Colombia in three months. It was just impossible for us.”

The couple, who live in Krakow, had been engaged for more than three years when Kujawińska heard about Denmark’s relatively relaxed marriage laws from a colleague. Working with an online wedding planner, the couple prepared the necessary documents.

“And in four days, we had the decision that the marriage could be done here,” a smiling Kujawińska said.

Newlyweds Magdalena Kujawińska, right, from Poland and Heinner Valenzuela from Colombia pose for photos at the Copenhagen City Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark. Wednesday 9 July 2025. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Copenhagen attracts couples from around the world

Couples who don’t live in Denmark, both mixed- and same-sex, are increasingly getting married in the Scandinavian country — prompting some to dub Copenhagen the “Las Vegas of Europe.”

The head of the marriage office at Copenhagen City Hall, Anita Okkels Birk Thomsen, said that about 8,000 wedding ceremonies were performed there last year. Of those, some 5,400 of them were for couples in which neither partner was a Danish resident.

“That’s almost double what we saw five years ago,” she said. “They come from all over the world.”

City wants to ensure room for locals

But the city sees a downside to that: demand for ceremonies at City Hall now far exceeds the number of slots available.

Mia Nyegaard, the Copenhagen official in charge of culture and leisure, said in a statement to The Associated Press that the “significant rise” in the number of foreign couples getting married in the capital “poses challenges for Copenhagen-based couples wishing to get married.”

Local authorities plan to take action. Nyegaard said about 40% of wedding slots available at City Hall will be reserved for Copenhagen residents starting from the end of October. While booking a slot there is the most obvious way to get married in the city, arranging a ceremony with a private registrar is also an option, and that won’t be affected.

Copenhagen lawmakers will look after the summer break at what else they can do to relieve overall pressure on wedding capacity in the city.

People gather in front of the Copenhagen City Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark. Friday 18 July 2025. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Liberal laws

Denmark’s marriage laws are liberal in several ways. In 1989, the country became the world’s first to allow the registration of same-sex civil unions. The legalization of same-sex marriage followed in 2012.

For unions of all kinds, Denmark — unlike many other European countries — doesn’t require a birth certificate or proof of single status to obtain a certificate that grants the right to get married in Denmark within four months. Officials might, in cases where divorce papers don’t show clearly that a divorce has been finalized, ask for a civil status certificate.

Applications to Denmark’s agency of family law cost 2,100 kroner ($326), and couples are issued with a certificate within five working days if they satisfy the requirements.

Non-resident couples can travel to Denmark and get married with just a valid passport and, if required, a tourist visa.

Related Articles

US sanctions Brazil’s Supreme Court justice overseeing case against Bolsonaro

Russian missiles hit a Ukrainian army training ground, killing at least 3 soldiers

US-imposed tariffs spelled disaster for this factory that exported clothes to American stores

Pope marks 50th anniversary of Cold War-era deal on security and human rights

Dozens of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, officials say, as hunger crisis grinds on

“We get that thing like, ‘Are you sure we do not need a birth certificate?’ And we go, ‘Yes,’” said Rasmus Clarck Sørensen, director of Getting Married in Denmark.

Clarck Sørensen, a Dane, began the wedding planning business with his British wife back in 2014.

“In the last 20, 30 years, people just meet more across borders,” he said. “Marriage rules are often made for two people of the same country getting married.”

“They kind of piled on patches onto marriage law, and a lot of people get trapped in those patches,” he added.

His online company’s “Complete Service” package, priced at 875 euros ($1,014), includes help gathering all the necessary documents, processing the certificate application and organizing the date of the ceremony.

The business says it helped over 2,600 couples last year.

Copenhagen, easily Denmark’s biggest city with the country’s best transport links, is the most popular location and so far appears to be the only one struggling with demand.

Any changes to the city’s rules will come too late to bother newlyweds Kujawińska and Valenzuela, who are now busy planning a celebration in Poland with family and friends.

“It means a lot for us because we’ve been waiting a lot for this,” Kujawińska said. “We’re really happy.”