Former President Donald Trump held a press conference in California today where he doubled down on his rhetoric accusing Haitian migrants of ‘illegally’ crossing border into Springfield and ‘destroying the way of life”
Former President Donald Trump doubled down on Haitian migrants Friday in a California press conference, accusing them of ‘descending’ on an Ohio town and “destroying the way of life.”
Standing at a podium three days after a debate with Democratic opponent, Vice President Kalama Harris in which Trump claimed migrants were “eating cats and dogs” and “killing thousands,” he doubled down on that rhetoric, crying that the influx of “20,000 illegal Haitian migrants” is “destroying the way of life” in the town.
The influx Trump was talking about is due to a 2021 program that gave Haitians protected status. Trump then vowed to carry out ‘mass deportations’ of immigrants – not specifying if this was aimed at the Haitian immigrants or others in the area.
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Donald Trump is continuing with his rhetoric against a Haitian community in Ohio (
Getty Images)
Trump said, “People don’t like to talk about it, because even the town doesn’t like to talk about it… it sounds so bad for the town. They live there. They’re proud. They love the town. For years, it was a great place, safe,” adding, “We will do large deportations from Springfield, Ohio, large deportations. We’re going to get these people out.”
The influx of immigrants Trump was talking about is due to a 2021 program that gave Haitians protected status. Thanks to the program, which was created for migrants from unstable countries, immigrants given TPS (temporary protected status) can apply for work permits and are here entirely legally, according to the state’s immigration FAQ.
The state added that the immigrants are working “in various industries, including in warehouses, manufacturing, and the service industry. Some immigrants are working in professional jobs as well.”
“Springfield is also now home to ten newer businesses, opened by Haitian immigrants, including, 2 Haitian restaurants, 7 Haitian grocery stores and 1 Haitian food truck,” adds the state’s website.
Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine, has come out to assure Trump that the migrants were in fact filling ‘much needed’ positions in companies that were once struggling to hire.
This new addition to Trump’s stump speech began with JD Vance making the allegation that ‘migrants’ were eating cats and dogs a day before the debate. He then had to walk back those comments, until Trump brought them back at the debate.
Meanwhile, Schools in Springfield, Ohio, were evacuated for a second time on Friday morning after bomb threats closed multiple city buildings, a courthouse and one elementary school. The evacuations were issued based on “information” obtained by police, per Newsweek.
Students at Perrin Woods and Snowhill Elementary schools were taken to different locations while Roosevelt Middle School had shut down before the school day had even started. Other Haitian families reported not sending their children to school altogether, fearing violence.
“Pets are safe in our community, and it’s unfortunate that there was a spotlight put on a story that was validated that was not true at all,” Springfield’s mayor, Rob Rue, said during an interview with ABC and FOX affiliate WSYX.
Pop star John Legend also posted an Instagram video saying that the information was not true in an attempt to reassure the public and speak up for his hometown.
