Why thousands of Hatians live in Ohio's Springfield and why Trump targets Biden for that

Amid the race for the White House, the Haitian living in Springfield, Ohio came to the forefront after former US President Donald Trump accused the immigrant community of “eating cats and dogs”. The city was first part of the mainstream political debate in July when Trump’s running mate JD Vance criticised US President Joe Biden’s administration’s border policy by bringing up the situation in Springfield.

That very month, the city’s mayor and manager went on the cable news program “Fox & Friends” calling for assistance to handle an influx of migrants. However, the debate soon spiralled down when the Trump campaign unleashed attacks against the Haitian community and accused them of “eating cats and dogs”.

But why specifically the Haitian community in Springfield Ohio become the face of the immigration crisis? Why the small city of Springfield is witnessing a major influx of migrants from Haiti? Let’s take a closer look.

How many Haitians live in Springfield?

According to city officials, the Haitian population in Springfield is estimated to be between 12,000 and 20,000. The estimates are based on the data from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Springfield’s public schools, health care providers in the area and social service agencies, The New York Times reported. They have also settled in other regions in Ohio as well as in Indiana, Kentucky and other states.

Why Springfield is witnessing a rise in the Haitian population?

The city of Springfield which sits between Columbus and Dayton used to be known as a manufacturing hub. However, the city witnessed an economic shrink at the start of the 2010s after factories closed and jobs migrated overseas. According to The New York Times, by 2015 the city’s population dwindled to under 60,000, from about 80,000 in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

After the authorities started to take notice of the situation thousands of new jobs were created, thanks to the proactive work of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. The news of job creation spread like wildfire. Haitians in Florida, Haiti and South America heard from friends and family about Springfield and the labour shortage the region is witnessing.

Once they began arriving for the jobs, business owners also encouraged other Haitians to join them. However, things went out of hand after the COVID-19 pandemic when the region witnessed a heavy influx of Haitian migrants. The instability in Haiti following the assassination of the country’s president in 2021 also contributed to the rise. Then just like any other region in the world, animosities started brewing between the locals and the Haitians over resources, jobs and housing.

Why Biden administration is condemned over the matter?

Amid the political turmoil on the issue, city officials made it clear that most of the Haitians in Springfield are legally living in the US. However, the Biden administration is often criticised for some of the provisions it introduced, opening the doors for migrants.

Many of the Haitians living in Springfield are beneficiaries of the Temporary Protected Status. TPS is a federal designation that gives citizens from a country in crisis the opportunity to stay in the United States legally, regardless they entered the country lawfully or not. The provision was renewed by the Biden administration and will remain active till February 3, 2026, for Haitians who arrived in the United States on or before June 3, 2024, and that status can be renewed.

Haiti is one of the countries whose nationals qualify for TPS. The other on the list includes Ukraine which is currently at war against Russia. Some Haitians, just like migrants from other nations have sought asylum which enables them to stay in the United States until their case has been adjudicated by immigration officials.

The migrants are also aided by another Biden administration initiative that enables people from Haiti who have a financial sponsor in the United States to apply to enter the country and remain here legally for two years. However, they do not receive green cards. Over the years, the various programs that made Haitians stay in the country, made the community attractive to employers, especially in Springfield which was facing a Labour shortage a few years back.

The recent threats to the community

After Trump made the bizarre claims in his first debate against US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Haitian community in Springfield has come under major scrutiny. On Saturday, two hospitals in the city underwent a lockdown after they received bomb threats. This marked the fourth such case in many days and many linked it to the false claims circulating among the far right about the Haitian immigrants.

Bomb threats were also received by the government buildings, forcing their closure and causing local schools to be evacuated. “We recognize that the past few days have been particularly challenging for everyone in our community,” Springfield police said in a statement. “We remain fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of each and every person,” the authorities furthered.

Amid all the chaos, a woman named Erika Lee, apologized for rumours about Haitian immigrants eating pets that resulted from a post she wrote on Facebook, NBC News reported. In the post, Lee claimed that the friend of a neighbour’s daughter lost her cat – and then found the animal strung up outside the home of a Haitian family.

After the rumour spread rapidly and eventually landed at the presidential debate, Lee admitted that she had no firsthand knowledge of the claim. The neighbour mentioned in the post, Kimberly Newton eventually revealed that she also had heard the story from an acquaintance and not her daughter. “It just exploded into something I didn’t mean to happen,” Lee told NBC News on Friday. “I’m not a racist,” Lee said, adding that her daughter is half-Black and she herself is mixed race. “Everybody seems to be turning it into that – and that was not my intent," she added.

Despite the acknowledgement, the rumour continues to remain ripe, and the Haitians in Springfield Ohio continue to remain in stress.

With inputs from agencies.