Springfield, Ohio — On Friday, former President Donald Trump reiterated his racist rhetoric about Haitian migrants during a press conference at his golf course in Los Angeles. His remarks come amidst a tense situation in Springfield, where residents have faced bomb threats and harassment.
During the press conference, Trump made unsubstantiated claims about the impact of Haitian migrants on Springfield. “In Springfield, Ohio, 20,000 illegal migrant Haitians have descended upon a town of 58,000 people, destroying their way of life,” Trump said. He added, “Even the town doesn’t like to talk about it, because it sounds so bad for the town. They live there … for years it was a great place. Safe. Nice. Now they have 20,000 and I actually heard today it’s 32,000.”
Trump also announced plans for “large deportations” from Springfield, incorrectly stating that the immigrants would be sent back to Venezuela. In reality, Haiti, not Venezuela, is the country of origin for many of the migrants. Haiti is one of 16 countries granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by the U.S. government due to ongoing conflict, which allows immigrants from these countries to work legally in the U.S. Trump had previously attempted to end TPS for Haiti and disparaged the country as a “shithole.”
These comments followed Trump’s statements during Tuesday’s presidential debate, where he falsely claimed that migrants in Springfield were stealing and eating pets. This claim has been thoroughly debunked.
The situation in Springfield has been exacerbated by recent bomb threats, leading to the closure of government buildings and evacuation of schools. Haitian residents in the town have reported severe threats and harassment, according to the Haitian Times.
Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance, representing Springfield, has also made inflammatory remarks, attributing crime and disease to the immigrant community.
In response to Trump’s remarks, President Joe Biden condemned the attacks on the Haitian community. “A community that’s under attack in our country right now. It’s simply wrong. There’s no place in America. This has to stop – what he’s doing. It has to stop,” Biden stated from the White House.