September 13th 2024.
On a Friday in Ohio, Donald Trump and his running mate were once again speaking out against Haitian migrants in the community. Despite the recent bomb threats and evacuations in the city, the Republicans continued to promote false claims about the migrants, causing local officials to call for a decrease in anti-immigrant rhetoric.
During a news conference in California, Trump declared that there would be "large deportations" from Springfield, Ohio. He also mentioned the possibility of holding a campaign event in the city, claiming that the migrants were "destroying the way of life." However, Ohio authorities have stated that there is no credible evidence to support the debunked allegations spread by both Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. These claims include the false accusation that Haitian immigrants have been eating domestic pets and birds in public parks.
The issue escalated during a debate on Tuesday between Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris. When Trump mentioned the claims, Harris couldn't help but laugh and refer to him as "extreme." The situation has drawn the attention of President Joe Biden, who stated that the Haitian community is currently "under attack." He called for an end to the Republicans' harmful comments.
Following a bomb threat that targeted city agencies, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue called on politicians to stop spreading false information. In an interview with WSYX, he stated, "All these federal politicians that have negatively spun our city, they need to know they’re hurting our city, and it was their words that did it."
The bomb threat also claimed that bombs had been planted in the homes of the mayor and other city officials, as well as various buildings and schools in the area. The buildings were evacuated and searched by authorities with explosive-detection dogs, but no bombs were found.
Trump continued to defend his claims on Friday, suggesting that local officials were not being truthful about the issue. He stated that while the "real threat" of immigration was happening at the Southern border, the people of Ohio were still scared. His supporters, including Vance, have used the situation in Springfield to draw attention to Trump's campaign issue of immigration reform and blame Harris for the influx of migrants into the U.S.
The situation in Springfield began with an online post that was amplified by right-wing actors on social media. Vance also shared the post on his own account, making claims without evidence that there had been a rise in diseases and crime due to Haitian immigrants in the city. He urged people not to be shamed by the media into not discussing the "slow-moving humanitarian crisis."
The city of Springfield has seen its Haitian population grow in recent years, estimated at 15,000 immigrants in the entire county. The city also clarified that these Haitian immigrants are in the country legally under a federal program. Last month, the Biden administration granted temporary legal status to about 300,000 Haitians in the U.S. due to unsafe conditions in their home country.
Trump repeated his false claims during the debate on Tuesday, stating that "in Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in, they're eating the cats." However, debate moderators pointed out that these claims had been debunked by city officials. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who has a personal connection to Haiti through a charity in honor of his late daughter, has also addressed the situation. He has promised to add more law enforcement and healthcare resources to the aid package the state has already provided to Springfield.
Despite the false claims being spread, there have been voices of reason, including the father of an 11-year-old boy who was killed by a Haitian immigrant driver last year. At a Springfield City Council hearing, Nathan Clark pleaded with Trump and other politicians to stop using his son's name in the immigration debate. The Democratic National Committee has also addressed the situation, sending out a fundraising email with the subject line, "Chaos, cats, and conspiracy."
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