Former President Donald Trump has once again targeted Haitian migrants while on the campaign trail, promising to revoke their legal status and deport them if he wins the 2024 election.
Trump falsely claimed that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were endangering the predominantly white community, stoking racial tensions in a city where the migrant community has helped revitalize the local economy.
“Absolutely, I’d revoke it, and I’d bring them back to their country,” Trump said in an interview with NewsNation on Wednesday when asked about Springfield’s Haitian population.
Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, have repeatedly suggested that Haitian migrants are responsible for an uptick in crime, despite local officials refuting these claims.
“We cannot destroy our country,” Trump said. “You had a beautiful, safe community…and all of a sudden in a short period of time they have 32,000 more people in there. It doesn’t work, it can’t work.”
More racist rhetoric and misinformation
Trump’s comments are part of a broader narrative his campaign has promoted, falsely claiming that Haitian migrants in Springfield have engaged in harmful activities, including spreading disease and eating pets. City officials have continually debunked these claims, yet the misinformation has led to heightened tensions and violent threats directed at Springfield’s Haitian residents.
Most of the Haitians in Springfield are in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a federal program that allows nationals from countries experiencing extraordinary conditions, such as natural disasters or political unrest, to live and work in the U.S. legally. TPS for Haitians was initially designated following the 2010 earthquake. Since then, it has been extended multiple times due to persistent instability and natural disasters.
However, Trump has persistently referred to these individuals as “illegal aliens,” continuing a pattern of inflammatory rhetoric against immigrants.
Local leaders and community advocates have condemned Trump’s remarks. Haitian migrants, who were sought after to help revitalize Springfield’s struggling economy, now face an uncertain future.
Tessa Petit, the executive director of FLIC Votes and a Haitian immigrant, criticized Trump for spreading “fear-mongering lies and attacks against Haitian immigrants.” She added, “We won’t stand for being scapegoats of a campaign that resorts to lies and destructive threats.”
Tiffany Hankins, director of policy and politics for FLIC Votes, also warned that Trump’s rhetoric is part of a broader plan. “Opening the door to expelling Haitian TPS recipients plants the seeds for attacks on other groups like Venezuelans and DACA recipients,” Hankins said.
Springfield Mayor Robert Rue, who has received threats alongside his family, pleaded for his city to be left out of national political debates. He emphasized that Haitian residents have been critical to the city’s resurgence and are law-abiding members of the community.
A broader anti-immigration agenda
Trump has a history of attempting to dismantle TPS protections. During his first term in office, he sought to end the program for several countries, including Haiti, but the courts blocked his efforts. President Joe Biden later expanded the program, allowing more Haitians to live and work in the U.S.
In related news, the Biden administration recently announced that it would not extend the legal status of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who arrived under a similar sponsorship program. The decision has raised questions about the future of Cuban, Haitian, and Nicaraguan migrants who may face similar challenges when their parole periods expire next year.
Trump has indicated that if re-elected, he would end these humanitarian immigration programs, including those providing relief to Haitians.
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