Springfield, Ohio – Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami hosted a town hall in Springfield, Ohio, on Thursday, in the throes of the 2024 presidential election, where he called for an open dialogue on immigration issues that have divided the country.
“We've been told, primarily by the media, to sit back and do as we're told, to sweep the issue under the rug, or we'll be guilty,” Ramaswami said at a rally Thursday evening. “And I think the truth of this country is that we don't have to agree on everything. We really don't. In America, we never have. But the beauty of this country is that we can talk openly about these issues, and tonight we intend to do so.”
“Our ground rules tonight are honesty and respect for the people,” Ramaswami told the crowd.
The influx of Haitians has raised major safety concerns for Springfield residents.
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy hosted a town hall meeting in Springfield, Ohio, in the heat of the 2024 campaign. (Joseph A. Wolfson/Fox News Digital)
Ramaswamy, a Donald Trump supporter and Ohio native who grew up near Columbus and frequently visited Springfield as a child, met with city officials and Haitian community leaders before the town hall, which was held in a small ballroom with about 200 Springfield residents in the room and another 100 in an overflow room.
After meeting with a group of Haitians, he stressed that he doesn't blame them for wanting to come to the United States, but blames the “federal policies” of the Biden-Harris administration.
Ex-Congressman Says Haitian Refugees 'Don't Understand the Law' Amid Deadly Accidents and Culture Clash
Many Springfield residents expressed concern about the damage their city has suffered since the influx of Haitian immigrants.
Chrissy, who has lived in Springfield for 66 years, criticized city officials for not organizing such an event with residents to address their concerns.
“How can you learn about a city unless you bring people together and talk to them?” Chrissy complained to Ramaswamy.
Vivek Ramaswami spoke to residents of Springfield, Ohio, at a town hall meeting on September 19, 2024. (Joseph A. Wolfson/Fox News Digital)
“They may not be very well-received in this room,” Ramaswamy said of city officials, who he noted had been invited to the City Hall meeting but did not attend.
“I think that at least the people that I've met do really care,” Ramaswami said, “but let me tell you what I see happening in this country. I think there is, in fact, a culture of fear. I think the reason they're not here tonight is not because they don't care about this, but because they are afraid.”
“They are good, patriotic Americans who love their country and their city, and they are suffering because the people they elected to run the federal government have let them down to the last detail. And they shouldn't have to fear actually coming face to face with their fellow citizens,” he added.
Springfield pastors speak out about Haitian refugee issue: 'The suffering is real'
Bullock, who is half black and has lived in Springfield for more than 20 years, warned about the “hateful rhetoric” that has “skyrocketed” since her town gained national attention.
“I can count on two hands the number of times I've been called a racist in my life. I've been called the N-word twice this week,” Brock said, describing darker-skinned friends being chased out of stores and accused of being Haitian.
While reiterating his belief that the United States is not a “racist country,” Ramaswami acknowledged a “strange rise in racial tensions in this country” that didn't exist when he was growing up, and he countered by linking the rise in prejudice to DEI. [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] He says this ideology “creates more racial hostility.”
Springfield, Ohio, has become the political epicenter of 2024 in recent weeks. (Joseph A. Wolfson/Fox News Digital)
One woman told Ramaswami that her daughter had been chased out of a Walmart by “migrants,” one of whom “was carrying a machete,” but after she called police to file a report, police “never investigated the crime.”
“So that tells us there's no crime in Springfield because no one is reporting it,” the mother added.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Others accused city officials, and the country at large, of prioritizing providing care to immigrants over the homeless and veterans.
The mood at the town hall was solemn for much of the time, but the crowd erupted in cheers when Ramaswamy was asked if he planned to run for Ohio governor.
“I feel a little more motivated than I was 10 seconds ago,” Ramaswami joked.
The city of Springfield has been under intense national media scrutiny as its approach to the immigration crisis has become an issue in the 2024 election campaign.
