Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced that under the Biden-Harris administration, he will dedicate resources to mitigating the influx of about 20,000 Haitian migrants who have arrived legally in the city of Springfield over the past few years.
“As these numbers increase dramatically, the federal government has an obligation to support local communities that are now hosting huge numbers of immigrants that had nothing to do with immigration decisions,” DeWine said Tuesday ahead of a presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
As of the 2020 census, the city had just 59,000 residents, but city officials have blamed the immigration surge for a housing crisis and unsafe roads after a Haitian migrant crashed into a school bus, killing an 11-year-old.
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Governor Mike DeWine speaks at a press conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
The Haitians arrived under the Biden-Harris Administration's program to assist certain immigrants fleeing violent and unstable countries, a program that Governor DeWine supports despite concerns that it has caused problems in the community and local residents have voiced opposition.
“I want to be very clear: I am not opposed to this program,” said DeWine, whose family runs a charity in Haiti. “I am not opposed to this program.”
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost also directed his office this week to investigate legal options that could stop the federal government from “delivering unlimited immigration to Ohio communities.”
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A man testifies during a city commission meeting in Springfield, Ohio. (Springfield, Ohio City Commission Video Stream/Fox News Digital)
“This is absurd. Springfield has swelled by more than a third because of immigration.” Yost said in a statement. “How many people can they expect to take in? What are the limits of the federal government's power? Can the federal government send all the millions of immigrants coming into Ohio under this administration's watch?”
“There needs to be a statute of limitations. We're going to find a way to get this disaster before a federal judge,” Yost said.
He added that the problem wasn't the immigration itself, but the large influx of immigrants “in a short period of time.”
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A woman speaks at a city commission meeting in Springfield, Ohio. (Springfield, Ohio City Commission Video Stream/Fox News Digital)
Governor DeWine has pledged to spend $2.5 million over two years to county health departments and other medical centers that are overwhelmed by the increase in migrants, as well as provide additional funding to law enforcement agencies.
Springfield has become the epicenter of a fierce battle for the 2024 presidential election, as posed by Trump. Resident Report There have been reports of Haitian immigrants kidnapping residents' pets and stealing geese from the lake, reports denied by city officials.
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The immigrants have also angered local residents, who are demanding that city authorities take action.
“I see what's going on in the streets, and I see you all in your comfy chairs and suits, and I urge you to get out here and do something,” said Anthony Harris, 28, at a recent city council meeting. “Haitians are running into trash cans. They're running into buildings. They're flipping their cars in the middle of the road. I don't know how you can be OK with this.”
