Haitians in Ohio fear for safety after Trump's false claims
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STORY: Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio say they're on edge after Republican Vice President nominee JD Vance amplified false claims about immigrants there. The small city of 62,000 is in the national spotlight as Republican politicians, most prominently Trump at this week's presidential debate, ...spread baseless rumors that immigrants were eating the area's cats and dogs. City officials say there have been no reports of anybody eating pets. Springfield has seen some 15,000 immigrants from Haiti arrive in recent years. It has reshaped the city after a half-century of decline, offering some promise of economic revival along with growing pains. Wages have surged with rising number of job openings, though the city's schools and health clinics are under strain and rents have risen. What has not risen is crime, according to interviews with a dozen local, county and city officials as well as police data. The derogatory claims are weighing on Haitians in Springfield. This is Rose-Thamar Joseph, the secretary of the local Haitian Community Help & Support Center. "Since Monday after the tweet of the Senator Vance, the Haitian community in Springfield are a little bit all shocked and frustrated and a lot of them are maybe talking about leaving Springfield." Marc, who didn’t want to reveal himself on camera or share his last name, said he's been harassed at work. "I quit my job late last week because I was harassed, retaliate even like (they) tried to demote me because other guy employees would call me 'fucking Haitian', call me 'bitch' at work and I can't believe they do nothing. And I think it is not good, but I don't really feel I actually am welcome in Springfield." Tensions rose after a Haitian driving without an Ohio license struck a school bus in 2023, killing 11-year-old Aiden Clark and injuring 26 other children which Trump and Vance have also brought up this week. At a city council meeting on Tuesday, Clark's father Nathan Clark told the campaign to stop using his son's death for 'political gain.' “They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio. I will listen to them one more time to hear their apologies. To clear the air, my son, Aiden Clark, was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti. This tragedy is felt all over this community, the state and even the nation, but don't spin this towards hate." On Thursday, Springfield's government evacuated city hall following a bomb threat. Several police cars were stationed outside the hall, which otherwise showed no signs of disruption. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue told local media the threat came from someone who claimed to be a local resident and mentioned frustration with immigration. Hours later Trump continued his unfounded claims against Springfield's immigrants at a rally in Arizona, claiming they were, 'walking off with the town's geese.'
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