Springfield, Ohio, has been in the spotlight since Donald Trump spouted false claims about Haitian immigrants in his presidential debate against Kamala Harris. The unwanted attention has overshadowed the city's deeper issues. DW's Aya Ibrahim went to Springfield to find out more.
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00:00Here at Rose Go Creole, there isn't just patties and plantains on offer, they're serving a
00:09taste of home.
00:10Once you eat the food, that's the first introduction to our community, the love we put in the food.
00:17The restaurant, which opened a little over a year ago, is a sign of Springfield's growing
00:22Haitian population.
00:23They came here to escape the violence and anarchy in their home country.
00:28Most of them are legally authorized to live and work in the U.S. under a program expanded
00:34by the Biden administration.
00:37Like many blue-collar towns in the Midwest, Springfield's population had been declining
00:42for years.
00:44Marjorie Kowalewski says Haitians came here because jobs and cheap housing were plentiful.
00:50She and her daughter run a small translation and advice center for newcomers in the back
00:54room of this Haitian grocery store.
00:58The Haitian community has given new life to the community because they are active participants
01:04in the economy.
01:06But then the numbers rose quickly.
01:08Officials estimate there are now anywhere between 12 and 15,000 Haitians in Springfield.
01:15They say the city's infrastructure and public services are overwhelmed.
01:20In August of 2023, a car driven by a Haitian migrant hit a school bus, killing an 11-year-old
01:27boy and prompting even more concern from residents about the growing presence of Haitian migrants.
01:35William Monaghan is a former journalist.
01:37He helps run a Facebook group where Springfielders share their thoughts about everything from
01:42safety, the economy, to rumors of pets disappearing.
01:46Losing homes, losing jobs, just costs going up so high that you can't afford things you
01:52used to be able to afford.
01:53Mostly, above all that, it's talking about how our city government ignores our concerns
02:00and mocks us and insinuates that our concerns are rooted in some sort of misplaced racial
02:07antipathy towards Haitians.
02:09William says he's ambivalent about Trump's claims that Haitian migrants are stealing
02:14and eating pets.
02:15But at least appreciates that they have drawn national spotlight to an issue he feels has
02:20long been ignored.
02:22But for the Haitian community, Trump's comments have caused nothing but fear.
02:27Marjorie Kovaleski has been getting panicked calls for the past two weeks.
02:32They don't know what they've done because they're trying to behave themselves, do what's
02:36right and they don't know if one day the white supremacists are going to attack, they don't
02:41know if the locals are going to attack them, and especially those with children.
02:46And it's not just the Haitian community that's been affected since Donald Trump's comments.
02:51There have been dozens of bomb threats here in Springfield, forcing some schools to evacuate
02:56their students.
02:57The city has also canceled the annual culture fest.
03:03At Rose Go Creole, the debacle has had an unexpected twist.
03:08People are flocking to the restaurant to show their support.
03:11This couple from Arkansas came here to send a message.
03:15We're supporting this community today, but next week it could be a different community,
03:21targeted just for political gain.
03:24Both city and local Haitian community leaders are calling for calm.
03:29They want Springfield out of the spotlight and on a path to healing.