SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — People living in Springfield had an opportunity to speak up and make their voices heard about topics like immigration.
Thursday night, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy hosted a town hall.
“The beauty of this country is we should be able to talk about it in the open. And that’s what we’re going to do tonight,” said Ramaswamy at the start of the town hall.
Some of the top issues people in Springfield brought to the table surrounding immigration included driving, the language barrier, the impact on local schools and the health care system, and a frustration with their local elected officials.
Ramaswamy said he met with both Haitian community members and local officials — neither were at the town hall.
“I think there is a culture of fear. And I think the reason they aren’t here tonight is not because they don’t care about this, it’s because they’re scared,” he said.
Many people shared personal experiences during the town hall and after.
“I work in an auto parts store and they come in with a picture on their phone. They don’t speak any English, they keep pointing at the picture. I need to know what year, make and model your car is and I’ll get it for you. When you can’t get through that language barrier, they get angry,” said Springfield resident Mark Vale.
“Immigrants are getting more than we are. They’re getting free health care. We’re paying for ours, we’re paying for them through our taxpayers money. So we can’t afford to move so we’re stuck,” said Springfield resident Pam Oliver.
At a news conference on Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine reiterated that the Haitian migrants in Springfield are here legally.
“There is a legal way to get in, there is not a migratory like bird coming through and coming in here. You have a legal system, work the system, and be a proud American citizen and I will be a patriotic citizen until the day I die,” said Springfield resident Velta Kalnins.
While Springfield continues to be pushed into the national spotlight, for many people living in the town, speaking up is a way to make sure leaders are listening.
“I saw tonight a bunch of people who really care about their community but also really want what’s best for everybody. They’re willing to accept migrants, it’s not like they hate immigrants, they want them to come in legally,” said attendee Evan Weise.
“We don’t just want to go back to the Springfield I knew when I came here in the 1990s and 2000s growing up. We want a country greater,” said Ramaswamy.