Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump vowed on Friday to deport Haitian immigrants from Springfield, Ohio, despite most being in the U.S. legally. The city has become the focus of social media controversy after false claims surfaced, alleging that Haitian arrivals were eating pets.
“We will do large deportations in Springfield, Ohio,” Trump stated during a press conference at his Los Angeles golf resort.
Although Trump’s mass deportation promises usually target undocumented immigrants, the 15,000 Haitians in Springfield are largely legal residents.
He did not repeat his previous debate claim with Democrat Kamala Harris about immigrants consuming pets, a remark that drew widespread ridicule.
In response to escalating tensions, two elementary schools were evacuated and a middle school closed following repeated bomb threats against the community, ABC News reported.
At the White House, President Joe Biden condemned the attacks on the Haitian community, calling for an end to the hostility. “It’s simply wrong.
There’s no place in America for this. It has to stop – what he’s doing. It has to stop,” Biden stated. In June, the Biden administration extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the U.S., a long-standing program that shields legal immigrants from deportation and grants them work permits.
Meanwhile, escalating gang violence in Haiti has displaced over half a million people, with nearly five million suffering from severe food insecurity.
Trump has pointed to the situation in Springfield as evidence supporting his tough immigration stance.
Despite the positive economic impact of the Haitian influx, local social services are struggling.
At a Las Vegas rally, Trump criticized the situation, stating, “I’m angry about illegal Haitian migrants taking over Springfield, Ohio. You see that mess, don’t you?” He also condemned what he described as “savage criminal aliens” causing harm to American citizens.
Haitian leaders nationwide warned that Trump’s comments could worsen tensions and endanger residents in Springfield.
Mayor Rob Rue of Springfield stressed the need for assistance rather than hostility.
City officials reported no credible instances of pet consumption but acknowledged that some Haitian residents have been victims of theft and other opportunistic crimes.
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