SPRINGFIELD, OH - The residents of this small town in Ohio have expressed their frustrations with city council, demanding they take action on the issues surrounding the cultural clashes between locals and immigrants from Haiti that are present during the meetings.
According to Fox News, thousands of Haitians have arrived in Springfield since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and locals are drawing attention to the uptick in crime, mayhem, and car crashes due to the massive influx of new residents. City officials stated that in a town of 58,000 people, about 20,000 Haitians have arrived.
At a recent city council meeting, Anthony Harris, 28, and a resident of Springfield said, "I see what's going on in the streets. And I see you guys sitting up there and, comfy chairs and suits ... I really challenge you guys to get out here and do something. These Haitians are running into trash cans. They're running into buildings. They're flipping cars in the middle of the street and I don't know how you like, y'all can be comfortable with this."
Another resident, 64-year-old Lisa Hayes, recounted an incident where the immigrants were bullying her at a supermarket. They blocked her cart and refused to let her pass through the aisle. She said, "I don't know what kind of label you put on this. I would like to see them have some common respect."
Resident Diana Daniels blamed cultural clashes for the issues saying, "Countries ... are defined by their culture and their language, not the color. When folks stand up here and describe what is happening to them, they are often painted with the broad brush of racism that has nothing to do with it." She told city leadership, "Shame on you." At another city council meeting, another resident named Noel said that she doesn't feel safe in Springfield anymore and that illegal immigrants are camping out near her home.
She said, "I try to help them the best I can to keep them from trying to squat on my property. But it is so unsafe. I have learned they cannot speak English in my front yard, they're screaming at me, throwing mattresses in my front yard, throwing trash in my front yard. Look at me, I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn't defend myself if I had to 'pack up and move.'" She added, "It's killing both of us mentally. I don't understand what you expect of us as citizens ... Who's protecting me? I want out of this town. I am sorry. Please give me a reason to stay."
Another resident called our general failures in city leadership saying, "When am I getting my money back?" According to the Daily Mail, the influx of Haitian immigrants has revitalized the local economy, but very clearly has sparked controversy amongst its residents. Harris said, "They're in the park, grabbing up ducks by their neck, and cutting their head off and walking off with them. They're eating them."
In response to that comment the city of Springfield emailed a comment to the Daily Mail saying, "In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community."
Springfield, Ohio, has become a flashpoint in the debate over immigration, after droves of Haitian immigrants arrived in the city in 2020 to fill job vacancies. The Haitians who were already in the country legally, moved to the area to do the blue-collar jobs locals were unenthusiastic about. However, within a few years, 20,000 immigrants arrived, swelling Springfield's population.
The Haitians had social security numbers and job permits, paid taxes, and lived in houses that were empty and boarded up as the town shrank, but their arrival did put a strain on medical services and the education system. Having filled the empty homes, later arrivals also contributed to a housing crisis egged on by landlords prioritizing immigrants who would pay more, instead of low-income locals on government subsidies.
According to Fox News, thousands of Haitians have arrived in Springfield since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and locals are drawing attention to the uptick in crime, mayhem, and car crashes due to the massive influx of new residents. City officials stated that in a town of 58,000 people, about 20,000 Haitians have arrived.
At a recent city council meeting, Anthony Harris, 28, and a resident of Springfield said, "I see what's going on in the streets. And I see you guys sitting up there and, comfy chairs and suits ... I really challenge you guys to get out here and do something. These Haitians are running into trash cans. They're running into buildings. They're flipping cars in the middle of the street and I don't know how you like, y'all can be comfortable with this."
Another resident, 64-year-old Lisa Hayes, recounted an incident where the immigrants were bullying her at a supermarket. They blocked her cart and refused to let her pass through the aisle. She said, "I don't know what kind of label you put on this. I would like to see them have some common respect."
Resident Diana Daniels blamed cultural clashes for the issues saying, "Countries ... are defined by their culture and their language, not the color. When folks stand up here and describe what is happening to them, they are often painted with the broad brush of racism that has nothing to do with it." She told city leadership, "Shame on you." At another city council meeting, another resident named Noel said that she doesn't feel safe in Springfield anymore and that illegal immigrants are camping out near her home.
She said, "I try to help them the best I can to keep them from trying to squat on my property. But it is so unsafe. I have learned they cannot speak English in my front yard, they're screaming at me, throwing mattresses in my front yard, throwing trash in my front yard. Look at me, I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn't defend myself if I had to 'pack up and move.'" She added, "It's killing both of us mentally. I don't understand what you expect of us as citizens ... Who's protecting me? I want out of this town. I am sorry. Please give me a reason to stay."
Another resident called our general failures in city leadership saying, "When am I getting my money back?" According to the Daily Mail, the influx of Haitian immigrants has revitalized the local economy, but very clearly has sparked controversy amongst its residents. Harris said, "They're in the park, grabbing up ducks by their neck, and cutting their head off and walking off with them. They're eating them."
In response to that comment the city of Springfield emailed a comment to the Daily Mail saying, "In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community."
Springfield, Ohio, has become a flashpoint in the debate over immigration, after droves of Haitian immigrants arrived in the city in 2020 to fill job vacancies. The Haitians who were already in the country legally, moved to the area to do the blue-collar jobs locals were unenthusiastic about. However, within a few years, 20,000 immigrants arrived, swelling Springfield's population.
The Haitians had social security numbers and job permits, paid taxes, and lived in houses that were empty and boarded up as the town shrank, but their arrival did put a strain on medical services and the education system. Having filled the empty homes, later arrivals also contributed to a housing crisis egged on by landlords prioritizing immigrants who would pay more, instead of low-income locals on government subsidies.
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