COLUMBUS, Ohio — On the topic of immigration in Tuesday's presidential debate, Ohio was mentioned several times.
A big story surrounding Ohio came out of last night's presidential debate. Former President Donald Trump spoke on false claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are stealing and eating pets.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats," said the former president.
These claims have already been debunked by the city of Springfield. Springfield police said that there is no evidence that supports the claim that Haitian migrants are stealing and eating pets.
Vice -Presidential candidate J.D. Vance claimed that illegal Haitian immigrants were “draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio” in a social media post.
However, the Springfield Police Division told Spectrum News that, “there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of residents' homes. Furthermore, no reports have been made regarding members of the immigrant community deliberately disrupting traffic.”
The controversy has brought about concerns around city and state resources that are being offered and allocated to the migrant community. According to Gov. Mike DeWine in a press conference earlier this week, Springfield has received around 15,000 immigrants over the last several years which has posed challenges in the local health care and school system, as well as on housing and traffic.
DeWine announced that the state would allocate more Ohio State Highway Patrol Officers to Springfield to monitor dangerous driving along. The state has also committed to a minimum of $2.5 million over the next two years to expand primary care access.
The controversy and conversation surrounding the Haitian migrant community in Springfield comes after the Northwestern Local Schools bus crash that killed 11-year-old Aidan Clark. Both DeWine and Vance have pointed out that the crash was caused by a Haitian immigrant.Migrants are legally settling in places like Springfield under the Immigration Parole Program, but DeWine said that he needs more resources and guidance from the federal government.
“So let me be very clear, I am not against this program,” said DeWine. “I'm not against this program. What I do say, though, is that with this program, there has to be a plan and there has to be a plan to prevent situations like we're seeing in Springfield.”
Springfield is not the only Ohio city seeing an influx of migrants. Lima and Findlay are experiencing similar issues to Springfield.