Residents of the Midwestern Ohio town of Springfield are demanding that their city council do something to stem the tide of Haitian migrants flocking to the city, especially after a child was killed in a school bus crash caused by an immigrant driving illegally.
The town, just west of the state capital, Columbus, has been a target for Haitian migrants since at least 2014, with around 10,000 people moving to the Rust Belt town over the next few years. But in the past four years alone, its population has swelled to more than 20,000. The influx has put the town under severe pressure.
Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio laid the blame squarely on the Biden administration for the mounting problems afflicting Springfield and other small towns across the country.
“This self-inflicted disaster is devastating the employment prospects of our citizens, making it harder for Ohio families to find housing, and draining social welfare programs funded by American taxpayers,” Vance said. Said The media said: “Illegal immigrants should be deported to their home countries as soon as possible, and those who are here on temporary status should not expect to be able to stay forever.”
The sudden influx of immigrants, many of whom do not speak English, has put a severe strain on the town, stretching its services and making translation, housing and legal services major expenses.
For several years, longtime residents were not bothered by the expanding Haitian community, but over time conflicts began to arise as Haitians became more of an eyesore, driving around illegally in their cars, breaking into apartments and homes by the dozens, enrolling their children in local schools who needed special attention in educational and language services, and becoming a focus of government spending.
For example, residents have become increasingly worried as the town is increasingly decorated with Haitian flags. Expressed Concerns were raised when the Haitian flag, instead of the U.S. flag, was raised at City Hall during the city’s Flag Day celebrations.
But that fear turned to outright anger when an 11-year-old boy lost his life as the price of immigration policy last August, when immigrant Hermanio Joseph drove his 2010 Honda Odyssey into oncoming traffic, causing a school bus carrying children back to school to spin out of control and overturn.
The accident killed 11-year-old Aiden Clarke and injured 12 other children, some seriously.
The immigrant had been here just over a year and did not have a driver’s license, let alone passed the state’s driving test to get one.
Joseph (age 36) later Convicted He was charged with first-degree felony manslaughter and fourth-degree felony homicide by vehicle, both of which were aggravated because he was driving without a license.
But the city faces other problems, especially housing.
The migrants claim that some unscrupulous property owners are extorting rents and allowing more than 12 people to live in buildings and apartments that the housing law says can accommodate fewer than 10.
“When we first came, we lived in a three-bedroom house,” said Haitian immigrant Patrick Joseph. Saidby Dayton Daily News“More than 20 people lived in that house. (The landlord) only rented out the beds in the bedrooms. About 10 people can sleep in one room. Some houses only have one bathroom.”
“[S]In Springfield, you can have a lot of people living in one house. Not because 27 people or whatever, but because different people want to live together. Some people can’t rent a room by themselves and have to rent a room from a third party. So, some addresses have 20 people living there, but 15 people living there. Added Johnson Salomon, an employee at Rocking Horse Community Health Center, Springfield News-Sun.
The housing situation has led city officials to ask federal authorities for help in solving the lack of suitable living space for the growing number of immigrants.
In a letter sent In a letter to Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Tim Scott (R-Fla.), Springfield Mayor Brian Heck said the city’s efforts to build sustainable housing are being overwhelmed by the number of immigrants arriving in the city.
“However, in recent times, Springfield has experienced a rapid population increase due to immigration that has significantly impacted our ability as a community to provide adequate housing opportunities for all,” Heck noted in the letter.
“Springfield’s Haitian population has grown from 15,000 to 20,000 over the past four years, in a community that previously had just under 60,000 residents,” he continued. “This puts a huge strain on our resources and ability to provide adequate housing for all of our residents. Despite the fact that 2,000 additional housing units are scheduled to come online over the next three to five years, it’s still not enough.”
“Once again, without further support at the federal level, communities like Springfield will not be able to meet the housing needs of their residents,” the mayor concluded.
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