Chair of Columbus' new immigrant commission says group formation 'came at the right time'
Jordan Laird- Columbus City Council has established a commission to address immigrant and refugee issue and appointed 14 members.
- City leaders say it's "fate" the commission's creation coincides with a federal immigration crackdown.
- Barth Shepkong, chair of the commission, says people are afraid but he envisions Columbus as a national model for immigrant integration.
When Columbus City Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, the daughter of Cuban refugees, got elected in 2021, she knew she wanted to elevate the voices of immigrants and refugees.
After all, more than one in ten Columbus residents was born abroad and in recent years, international immigrants have made up about half of the metro's growth, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
As she began working toward her goal, Barroso de Padilla collaborated with Ohio State University to research immigrant communities in Columbus and hold a series of surveys and town hall meetings. Her work culminated in the Columbus City Council establishing the Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to advise the city on challenges and opportunities for immigrants. Council appointed the first 14 members, all immigrants or refugees or their children, on Monday.
Barroso de Padilla did not know more than two years ago when she began this work that when the commission came to be, immigrants would be the subject of an aggressive federal government crackdown.
"It's almost fate that it would come about in this moment right now," said Council President Shannon Hardin.
President Donald Trump's administration has sought to deport massive numbers of immigrants and expand immigration detention. Trump has revoked the legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants, including many Haitians in the U.S. Most recently, the administration has rescinded visas for hundreds of international college students, including at least 11 students at Ohio State University.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he's revoked the visas of 'lunatics,' citing pro-Palestinian support or activism, but civil-rights experts have said the administration is targeting free speech.
"Our work is basically cut out for us. It came at the right time," said Bartholomew Shepkong, of Berwick, chair of the new city commission. "A lot of people are really uncertain. They don’t know what’s going on."
And with all the uncertainty comes fear, Shepkong said.
Barroso de Padilla and other council members said not only will this new commission help advise the city government, but its formation sends a message about the city's values.
"I think for us as a city, it really puts a stake in the ground in terms of what our values are and this is something we believe in deeply," Barroso de Padilla said.
Shepkong, in an interview with The Dispatch, said the commission members are ready for the challenge this moment presents.
The 14 members appointed so far represent immigrant communities from Ghana, Haiti, India, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, and South Korea. A fifteenth spot has not been filled yet after an applicant withdrew.
Barth Shepkong: 'Immigration is needed'
Barth Shepkong, 48, emigrated from Nigeria to the United States in 2003 when he was in his mid-20s to study to become a Catholic priest. In Danville, Kentucky, Shepkong at times found it difficult to assimilate.
He had little guidance on how to navigate the U.S. bureaucracy, for example, something as simple as how to get a driver's license. He was homesick all the time.
After Shepkong decided not to become a priest (he's still a member of the Catholic church), he got his master's degree at Loyola University. While in Chicago, Shepkong became a U.S. citizen.
He still remembers sitting in the front row of his naturalization ceremony with over 200 other new Americans, holding a tiny American flag and feeling proud.
In Chicago, Shepkong met his wife, Gachomo Joanne Mapis, a Nigerian American who lived in Columbus. Shepkong moved to Columbus in 2013.
"One of the things I like about Columbus is the diversity," Shepkong said. "And you can see that it's growing by the day. The Columbus that I came into in 2013 is not the Columbus of today."
Since moving to Columbus, Shepkong cofounded the Columbus African Festival and the Ohio African Chamber of Commerce.
Shepkong applied to be on the Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs because he wants Columbus to be a place where immigrants don't just settle, but thrive.
He said in the short term, the commission can serve as a policy incubator, strengthen institutional partnerships and promote cultural competency within city services. Long term, he wants the commission to embed pro-immigrant policies in Columbus and create a dedicated resource center for immigrants. He believes Columbus can become a national model for integration and leveraging diversity.
"Immigration is needed because the world is a global village and no country, no human being can live in isolation," Shepkong said. "So instead of politicizing it, in every society, immigration is needed. Diversity should be people's strength and not just diversity based on your color, but the diversity of ideas. We cannot just live in isolation."
Government and Politics Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.