Current:Home > FinanceAn Ohio city reshaped by Haitian immigrants lands in an unwelcome spotlight-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
An Ohio city reshaped by Haitian immigrants lands in an unwelcome spotlight
View Date:2024-12-23 16:22:44
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! (6696)
Related
- PSA: Coach Outlet Has Stocking Stuffers, Gifts Under $100 & More for the Holidays RN (up to 60% Off)
- In a win for Mexico, US will expand areas for migrants to apply online for entry at southern border
- Indianapolis man sentenced to 145 years in prison for shooting ex-girlfriend, killings of 4 others
- Is Sha'Carri Richardson running today? Olympics track and field schedule, times for Aug. 3
- Man jailed after Tuskegee University shooting says he fired his gun, but denies shooting at anyone
- Watch these Oklahoma Police officers respond to a horse stuck in a swimming pool
- Why It Ends With Us Author Colleen Hoover Is Confused by Critics of Blake Lively's Costumes
- Late grandfather was with Ryan Crouser 'every step of the way' to historic third gold
- US Congress hopes to 'pull back the curtain' on UFOs in latest hearing: How to watch
- Aerosmith Announces Retirement From Touring After Steven Tyler's Severe Vocal Cord Injury
Ranking
- Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline, shrugging off Wall Street’s overnight rally
- Federal judge rules that Florida’s transgender health care ban discriminates against state employees
- Firefighters continue battling massive wildfire in California ahead of thunderstorms, lightning
- Stephen Nedoroscik, 'pommel horse guy,' wins bronze in event: Social media reactions
- Nicole Scherzinger receives support from 'The View' hosts after election post controversy
- Monday through Friday, business casual reigns in US offices. Here's how to make it work.
- Two small towns rejoice over release of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan
- Inside Gymnast Olivia Dunne and MLB Star Paul Skenes’ Winning Romance
Recommendation
-
John Krasinski Revealed as People's Sexiest Man Alive 2024
-
Kansas man sentenced to prison for stealing bronze Jackie Robinson statue
-
About half of US state AGs went on France trip sponsored by group with lobbyist and corporate funds
-
Rejuvenated Steelers QB Russell Wilson still faces challenges on path to redemption
-
John Robinson, former USC Trojans and Los Angeles Rams coach, dies at 89
-
American swimmer Alex Walsh disqualified from 200 individual medley at Paris Olympics
-
Olympic women's soccer bracket: Standings and how to watch Paris Olympics quarterfinals
-
A year after Maui wildfire, chronic housing shortage and pricey vacation rentals complicate recovery