“We’re going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country and we’re going to start with Springfield and Aurora,” Trump said at a press conference Friday, tying the Springfield situation with crime concerns in Aurora, Colorado linked to Venezuelan gangs.
Regarding Springfield, Trump’s recent comments referenced some of the legitimate concerns raised by city residents and leaders about the sudden influx of immigrants — but also repeated outright falsehoods.
“In Springfield Ohio, 20,000 illegal Haitian immigrants have descended upon a town of 58,000 people, destroying their way of life,” Trump said at an event Friday near Los Angeles, later claiming the number of Haitian immigrants is closer to 32,000.
“Look at the explosion in rent in Springfield, Ohio where Kamala has resettled the 20,000 Haitians,” Trump said at a rally Thursday in Tucson.
Estimates of the Haitian population in Springfield by state and local officials is closer to 15,000, most of whom are in the country legally on Temporary Protected Status, a federal program extended to the residents of several turmoil-filled countries. The White House does not control where immigrants on TPS choose to settle.
Trump in a Thursday speech referenced several issues identified as concerns among local leaders: rent costs, increased demand on the state’s Medicaid and food assistance programs, and an increase in motor vehicle accidents.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine this week directed additional resources from the Ohio State Highway Patrol to crack down on driving violations, and directed $2.5 million to help fund health services in the community.
DeWine and city leaders have asked the federal government to step in with more assistance to support the immigrants here under the TPS program.
When asked about aid for Springfield at a White House press briefing Friday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blamed Republicans for blocking a bipartisan immigration bill — at Trump’s urging — that would have included resources for cities like Springfield that deal with challenges from immigration.
“We want more funding. Republicans are getting in the way in Congress,” she said.
In his Thursday speech, Trump switched between references to Springfield and to crime reportedly committed by Haitian immigrants in other states.
“Can you imagine you have this small little community, all of a sudden you have 20,000 illegals in your community. Nobody knows where they come from,” he said. “I’m angry about young American girls being raped and sodomized and murdered by savage criminal aliens.”
There have been no reports of such crimes being committed by Haitian immigrants in Springfield.
President Biden weighed in Friday, castigating Trump’s remarks as attacks on America’s Haitian community.
“There’s no place in America. This has to stop – what he’s doing. It has to stop,” Biden said.
‘They’re taking the geese’
Trump also reiterated rumors about Haitians in Springfield stealing stealing pets and wildlife.
“The migrants are walking off with the town’s geese. they’re taking the geese,” Trump said. “You know where the geese are, in the park, in the lake. And even walking off with their pets,” Trump said. “My dog’s been taken!”
There have been no reports of Haitian immigrants in Springfield stealing pets, city and county officials have said.
There have been two reports this year of people believed to be Haitian grabbing geese and ducks from Snyder Park in Springfield, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
“Upon follow-up, no supporting evidence was found of wildlife being illegally removed from the park in either case,” according to a statement from ODNR.
On March 27 around noon, a caller said she was driving in Snyder Park and saw three men — described as “Haitian males” — place a live Canada goose and a live duck in a black trash bag and drive away.
“The officer monitored the area and did not find any evidence of a crime,” according to ODNR.
On Aug. 26, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office relayed a report of two men and two women believed to be Haitian each carrying a goose apiece.
“The officer was initially unable to reach the witness but later made contact. No supporting evidence to verify the claim was found,” according to ODNR.
Clark County officials said earlier this week they scoured 11 months of call records and found the Aug. 26 call was the only one of this type.
“No videos have surfaced, no pictures have surfaced, no dead geese have surfaced; there’s nothing to substantiate that it’s happening,” Clark County Commissioner Sasha Rittenhouse said Wednesday.
At an Aug. 27 Springfield City Commission meeting, a man told commissioners that Haitians were taking ducks out of the park, but did not offer any evidence.
A widely circulated photo of a man carrying what appears to be a goose down a city street was actually taken in Columbus.
ODNR has a dedicated wildlife officer assigned to Clark County who routinely monitors Snyder Park because it is a popular fishing area, the agency says.
Canada geese are protected under federal and state law. Canada geese and ducks can be hunted at certain locations during certain times of the year — this year the early season for Canada geese is Sept. 7 through 15 — with a proper permit.
But hunting is not allowed at Snyder Park, according to National Trails Parks & Recreation District.
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