Current:Home > reviewsAn Ohio city reshaped by Haitian immigrants lands in an unwelcome spotlight -Achieve Wealth Network
An Ohio city reshaped by Haitian immigrants lands in an unwelcome spotlight
View
Date:2025-04-18 17:20:40
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Many cities have been reshaped by immigrants in the last few years without attracting much notice. Not Springfield, Ohio.
Its story of economic renewal and related growing pains has been thrust into the national conversation in a presidential election year — and maliciously distorted by false rumors that Haitian immigrants are eating their neighbors’ pets. Donald Trump amplified those lies during Tuesday’s nationally televised debate, exacerbating some residents’ fears about growing divisiveness in the predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000.
At the city’s Haitian Community Help and Support Center on Wednesday, Rose-Thamar Joseph said many of the immigrants that arrived in the past few years were drawn by good jobs and the city’s relative affordability. But a rising sense of unease has crept in as longtime residents increasingly bristle at newcomers taking jobs at factories, driving up housing costs and straining city services.
“Some of them are talking about living in fear. Some of them are scared for their life. It’s tough for us,” Joseph said.
Ariel Dominique, executive director of the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy, said she laughed at times in recent days at the absurdity of the false claims. But seeing the comments repeated on national television by the former president was painful.
“It is so unfair and unjust and completely contrary to what we have contributed to the world, what we have contributed to this nation for so long,” Dominique said.
The falsehoods about Springfield’s Haitian immigrants were previously spread online by Trump’s running mate, JD Vance. It’s part of a timeworn American political tradition of casting immigrants as outsiders whose strange behavior is a shock to American culture.
“This is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame,” Trump said at Tuesday’s presidential debate after repeating the falsehoods. When challenged during the debate by ABC News moderator David Muir over the false claims, Trump held firm, saying “people on television” said their dogs were eaten, but he offered no evidence.
Officials in Springfield have tried to tamp down the misinformation by saying there have been no credible or detailed reports of any pets being abducted or eaten. State leaders are trying to help address some of the real challenges the city faces.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said Tuesday that he would send law enforcement and millions of dollars in health care resources to Springfield as it faces a surge in Haitian arrivals.
Many Haitians have come to the U.S. to flee poverty and violence. They have embraced President Joe Biden’s new and expanded legal pathways to enter, and have shunned illegal crossings, accounting for only 92 border arrests out of more than 56,000 in July, the latest data available.
The Biden administration recently announced an estimated 300,000 Haitians in the U.S. on June 3 could remain in the country at least through February 2026, with eligibility for work authorization, under a law called Temporary Protected Status to spare people from being deported to strife-torn countries..
Springfield, about 45 miles from the state capital of Columbus, suffered a steep decline in its manufacturing sector toward the end of the last century. But its downtown has been revitalized in recent years as more Haitians arrived and helped meet the demand for labor. Officials say Haitians now account for about 15% of the population.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Today’s news: Follow live updates from the campaign trail from the AP.
- Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter to get it in your inbox every Monday.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
The city was shaken last year when a minivan slammed into a school bus, killing an 11-year-old boy. The driver was a Haitian man who recently settled in the area and was driving without a valid license. During a city commission meeting on Wednesday, the boy’s parents condemned politicians’ use of their son’s death to stoke hatred.
On Sept. 6, a post surfaced on the social media platform X that shared what looked like a screengrab of a social media post apparently out of Springfield. The post talked about the person’s “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” seeing a cat hanging from a tree to be butchered and eaten, claiming without evidence that Haitians lived at the house. It was accompanied by a photo of a Black man carrying what appeared to be a goose by its feet.
On Monday, Vance posted on X. “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?” he said. The next day, he posted again on X about Springfield, saying his office had received inquires from residents who said “their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”
With its rising population of immigrants, Springfield is hardly an outlier. So far this decade, immigration has accounted for almost three-quarters of the U.S. population growth, with 2.5 million international migrants arriving in the United States between 2020 and 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau population. Population growth is an important driver of economic growth.
“The Haitian immigrants who started moving to Springfield the last few years are the reason why the economy and the labor force has been revitalized there,” said Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, which provides legal and social services to immigrants across the U.S.
She said Haitian clients in Springfield have told her that, out of fear, they are now considering leaving the city.
___ Spagat reported from San Diego. Associated Press writer Michael Schneider in Orlando, Florida, and Noreen Nasir in New York, contributed.
veryGood! (88)
Related
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Mark Cuban reportedly plans to leave ABC's 'Shark Tank' after more than a decade
- Sierra Leone’s leader says most behind the weekend attacks are arrested, but few details are given
- Thick fog likely caused a roughly 30-vehicle collision on an Idaho interstate, police say
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Argentina’s right-wing president-elect to meet with a top Biden adviser
- Kylie Jenner reveals she and Jordyn Woods stayed friends after Tristan Thompson scandal
- College Football Playoff rankings prediction: Does Ohio State fall behind Oregon?
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Bears outlast Vikings 12-10 on 4th field goal by Santos after 4 interceptions of Dobbs
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Tensions are bubbling up at thirsty Arizona alfalfa farms as foreign firms exploit unregulated water
- Audio intercepts reveal voices of desperate Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine: Not considered humans
- Widow of serial killer who preyed on virgins faces trial over cold cases
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- “Carbon Cowboys” Chasing Emissions Offsets in the Amazon Keep Forest-Dwelling Communities in the Dark
- Purdue is new No. 1 as top of USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll gets reshuffled
- John Mulaney Says He “Really Identified” With Late Matthew Perry’s Addiction Journey
Recommendation
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
Who could be a fit for Carolina Panthers head coaching job? Here are 10 candidates to know
Israel and Hamas extend their truce, but it seems only a matter of time before the war resumes
Morgan Wallen tops Apple Music’s 2023 song chart while Taylor Swift and SZA also top streaming lists
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
Climate funding is in short supply. So some want to rework the financial system
Texas abortion case goes before state's highest court, as more women join lawsuit
Yippy-ki-yay, it's 'Die Hard' season again