The small town of Springfield, Ohio came under the spotlight this week as the Republican nominee for President of the United States Donald Trump made the claim in the pre-election debate with his opponent from the Democratic Party, Kamala Harris, that the Haitian immigrants who settled there steal dogs and cats for food.
Local authorities at the city and state level have repeatedly tried to refute this rumor. Springfield officials told the press and at city commission meetings that there were no credible reports of animal abuse "by individuals from the immigrant community”. The state's top Republican, Gov. Mike DeWine, also flatly dismissed the rumor Wednesday, saying there was "no evidence for it at all.
But according to American television "Fox News" - a conservative media outlet that often reflects the views of the Republican Party, Springfield residents are outraged by the clash of cultures between local residents and Haitian immigrants and are demanding that the city take action on the issue.
Thousands of Haitians have arrived in Springfield since the Covid pandemic, and locals say the influx of new residents has seen an increase in crime, chaos and car accidents. According to local authorities, about 20,000 Haitians have arrived in the city of 58,000.
"I see what is happening in the streets. And I see you sitting there in comfy chairs and in suits... I really urge you to come out and do something,” Springfield resident Anthony Harris, 28, said at a meeting with city officials. "These Haitians are crashing (with cars) into the garbage cans. They crash into buildings. They flip cars in the middle of the street and I don't know how you can be comfortable with that,” he said.
64-year-old resident Lisa Hayes talks about an incident where migrants harassed her in a supermarket. They blocked her shopping cart and refused to let her pass. "I don't know what label you put on that," she says, puzzled by the incident. "I would like them to show some respect.“
Residents are talking about how migrants are crowding public places, hitting people with cars - and some say the city should start providing driving lessons.
Resident Diana Daniels blamed the problems on culture clashes. "Countries... are defined by their culture and language, not by the color of their skin. When people stand up here and describe what is happening to them, they are often painted with the big brush of racism, which has nothing to do with it.“
During another hearing, a woman named Noel said she no longer felt safe in Springfield and that migrants were camping near her home. “I try to help them in the best way possible so that they don't try to settle on my property. But this is so dangerous. They don't speak English, they yell at me, they throw mattresses, they throw garbage in my yard”, she says.
CNN, known for its liberal views and for traditionally advocating for migrants in the US, presents completely opposite opinions. She reported that residents of Springfield had expressed concern on her air about the rhetoric and racism that they said had been fueled in the city for political purposes.
"When Republicans don't have a platform, they sow fear, and that's what they're doing here with immigration,” said Amy Cox, a mushroom farm owner from nearby Dayton who is running for the district's congressional seat. "It's no secret that we need workers in these areas, especially in manufacturing. You are in Ohio. Ohio is a huge manufacturing center and we need people to fill those jobs, and we've always relied on immigration to fill the jobs in this country,” she added.
A Springfield family is asking politicians to stop referring to their personal tragedy. Last year, an 11-year-old boy named Aidan Clark was killed in a bus crash caused by a Haitian with an invalid driver's license, an incident recalled this week by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance. He stated that the child was "killed by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here”.
Clark's father responded strongly in a public statement at a Springfield City Commission meeting this week. "They can spew all they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even false claims about fluffy pets being killed and eaten by members of the community. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aidan Clark of Springfield, Ohio,” said father Nathan Clark.
CNN notes that Haitian immigrants in Springfield have legal status.
Reinforcements were sent to local police on Wednesday to help deal with traffic problems that officials said were caused by an increase in the number of Haitians unfamiliar with American traffic laws. Governor DeWine said that $2.5 million will also be allocated over two years for medical care for migrants, the American news agency AP reported.
Haiti is among 15 countries eligible for temporary protected status, a federal immigration designation that allows immigrants to live and work legally in the country for up to 18 months. It allows individuals to arrive in the US legally and immediately apply for a work permit, Chicago-based TV station News Nation explains.
Fleeing violence and poverty in their own country, Haitians first began arriving around 2018 and chose Springfield for the job opportunities and affordable housing, Luken Merzius, a Haitian immigrant who lives in the area, told PBS . "I had a decent job when I was in Haiti, but then I had to make the difficult decision to leave. It wasn't easy“, he tells the media.