Springfield, Ohio became suddenly famous nationally when Trump claimed that an influx of Haitian migrants were devouring residents’ pets. I went looking to see what the town is experiencing from the perspective of local news, and it looks surprising nuanced.
It appears that the town saw a rapid influx of migrants fleeing violence in Haiti. The town has since experienced a strain in its ability to function in notable ways because of the population shock. The issues include a sudden reduction in the housing supply and an increase in traffic and inexperienced drivers. One particularly bad traffic accident killed a child during a school bus crash.
The city government has seemed to largely avoid blaming new arrivals themselves. However they’ve expressed a sense of betrayal towards Biden and the federal government for granting thousands of people entry into the country without appearing to recognize any responsibility for helping them resettle or aiding their destination cities in accommodating them. Additionally, they’ve begun investigating local businesses which they suspect used the expansion of visas for Haitians seeking asylum as an opportunity to seek out low-cost workers while concealing their role in creating a population shock for which the city was unprepared.
I must say that I think the city government makes a reasonable point: those of use who want to offer foreign visitors safety and dignity in American must also demand that our government takes responsibility for helping them relocate to a town in which is expecting their arrival and has been aided in making that arrival successful.
If anyone has ever worked or talked with a refugee or asylum seeker, none of this is surprising. The US gives so little assistance to resettling refugees that it’s truly embarrassing.
They get three months of bare minimum help - often through religious “resettlement” groups who receive the funds. After three months, they are expected to get a job, pay their own rent, navigate life in the US (including driving), and speak English well enough to do all of that.
They get almost no extra healthcare, rent assistance, food assistance, trauma therapy, or anything else beyond that point unless they are able to navigate the systems to do so. And to be honest, that is difficult enough for someone born here. It’s almost impossible for a new refugee. What little assistance they do get after the first 90 days is often due to community and church groups, not the US government.
Theoretically, they have case workers etc. through the resettlement agencies, but it’s a total mess. It’s an absolute disgrace, and we can and should be doing better to support refugees and asylum seekers. Especially if they are going to get dumped in a small town with no resources. I really understand residents’ frustrations, but I also hope this ugly episode teaches people how woefully inadequate our refugee program is - and helps them advocate for change! We can do better.
Exactly eight years ago this week, Trump campaigned in Miami and spent some time at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, stressing the “common values” he shared with Haitian Americans.
“Whether you vote for me or not,” the then-candidate said at the time, “I really want to be your biggest champion.”
A year later, he scrapped temporary protected status for Haitians who were allowed entry to the U.S. following a devastating earthquake in 2010. A year after that, the Republican hosted a White House meeting and referred to Haiti as a “s—hole” country.
And now, Trump is lying to the public about Haitian immigrants — the same people he told, “I really want to be your biggest champion” — betraying a community he vowed to look out for.
Source: Trump betrays a community he previously vowed to ‘champion’
Now, Trump says he’s going to deport Haitian immigrants from Springfield, Ohio, even though they’re there legally.
We will do large deportations from Springfield, Ohio. Large deportations. We’re going to get these people out. We’re bringing them back to Venezuela [sic]. [Edit typo.]
I find a big problem we have is that the media and Democrats never seem to educate people on any distinctions between undocumented crossings, Visa overstays, asylum cases, Green cards, naturalization, etc.
It’s outrageous that Trump will threaten to depart people who have followed every role as though they’re all criminals and no one ever seems to push back on any of it!
He’s flirted with deporting natural born Americans, and it’s the obvious destination when people passively accept his racialized view of Americanism!
I must say that I think the city government makes a reasonable point: those of use who want to offer foreign visitors safety and dignity in American must also demand that our government takes responsibility for helping them relocate to a town in which is expecting their arrival and has been aided in making that arrival successful.
Agreed. It just makes sense.
But there are lots of things we do differently than the rest of the world for no good reason. That’s America for you.
My biggest worry with all this attention on Springfield, Ohio is that some chucklehead neckbeard in podunk nowhere is likely already planning a mass shooting there.
There is a neo-Nazi hate group very active in the area, so I would guess violence is in the plans. Especially now that they have demonized a whole group of people to a whole lot of right wing asshats.
Repeating the exact same rhetoric that led to all of the hate crimes in 2016 all over again.
This is the exact language we can expect should he somehow get elected again. If his cultists still support him and he continues to have a platform, we can expect that they will commit more hate crimes.
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