Ohio AG eyes lawsuit against Feds for surging Haitian migrant population
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Longtime residents of a small city in southwestern Ohio have been suffering a surge in crime and chaos due to a massive influx of migrants.
Over the past few years, hordes of Haitian nationals have descended upon Springfield, a once-quiet Ohio burg roughly 45 miles west of the state capital, Columbus. The number of Haitian migrants has reportedly reached 20,000 – far beyond the capacity of a city of 58,000 residents to handle.
"Ohio is a great place to work and live," state Attorney General Dave Yost said in a Sept. 9 press release. "But overwhelming our small towns with massive migrant populations without any coordination or assistance from the federal government is changing that in front of our eyes."
Yost described the situation as "absurd," explaining that "Springfield has swollen by more than a third due to migrants."
"How many people can [Springfield] be expected to take? What are the limits to the federal government's power? Could the federal government simply funnel into Ohio all the millions of migrants flooding in under the current administration's watch?" – Ohio AG Dave Yost
He added the obvious, saying, "The sudden and extreme population growth has strained the city's economic, medical and educational systems."
"There's got to be a limiting principle. We're going to find a way to get this disaster in front of a federal judge," the attorney general vowed.
Yost's directive comes on the heels of concerns of local residents who have been pleading to local officials for relief for months.
At a recent hearing, one longtime resident named Noel explained her heartrending plight:
"It is so unsafe in my neighborhood anymore. I have the homeless that are trying to camp out, and I have made concessions with them. 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 ... [as they are] 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."
"My husband is elderly, and last night after living in this home for 45 years, he said [that] it's time to pack up and move. It's killing both of us mentally. I don't understand what you expect of us as citizens. I understand they're here under temporary protected status, and you're protecting them, and I understand our city services are overwhelmed and understaffed, but who's protecting us? If we're protecting them, who's protecting me? I want out of this town. I am sorry. Please give me a reason to stay."
A 58-year-old disabled resident voiced similar fears:
"I have such anxiety leaving my house that I rarely do, and when I do I am armed and I have my 20 pound pit bull with me. I have been followed [by the Haitian migrants]. I have been groped. ... I have been called racist because I am white.
I've lived in the south end of town for my whole entire life ... Recently, my youngest moved to Montana to get out of here. ... My children are leaving me. ... I do not blame any of this on any other people other than our city managers."
Another local citizen recounted how migrants bullied her at a supermarket, blocking her cart and refusing to let her pass through the aisle. "I don't know what kind of label you put on this," she said, befuddled by the incident. "I would like to see them have some common respect."
A 28-year-old Springfield resident named Anthony addressed city leaders:
"I see what's going on in the streets. And I see you guys sitting up there ... 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 like, y'all can be comfortable with this."Â
"And I don't even want to, like, seem like I'm coming down on immigrants, because it's the people that's bringing them down here, 'cause wherever they're at, that's what they're used to, bro. They're in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking off with them and eating them."
"No, it's not time to pack up and move. This is your home stand up for your rights now. If you are a Democrat and you voted for Biden, this is what you got." – online commenter
Anthony's remarks reference a new theme in Springfield's sad saga – that of local animals being killed for food or ritual. Ducks and geese have been snatched up from parks, and pets stolen from residents' homes and backyards, according to residents.
Yost gave credence to this problem citing "migrants ... stealing property – including livestock ... and killing wildlife for food" in his news release. One report tells of a child looking for her pet cat and finding it tied up to a clothes line for skinning.
Ohio senator and GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance has also spoken out about Springfield's suffering. In a recent X posting, he said:
"Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio."
"Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country. Where is our border czar?" he asked, referring to Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
"You would think everyone would be against eating each others pets, but hell half of the country doesn't know what a woman is." – online commenter
Mainstream media has been fiercely disputing the testimonials of Springfield's citizens and Vance's comments.
The New York Times paints a rosy and peaceful picture of Haitian assimilation into the Ohio town. In a Sept. 3 article, a reporter claimed, "By most accounts, the Haitians have helped revitalize Springfield."
"They are assembling car engines at Honda, running vegetable-packing machines at Dole and loading boxes at distribution centers. They are paying taxes on their wages and spending money at Walmart. On Sundays they gather at churches for boisterous, joyful services in Haitian Creole," she writes.
"They do not assimilate ... but they will help to keep Marxist Democrats like Harris in power." – online commenter
MSNBC lashed out at Vance, accusing him of spreading "a xenophobic, racist conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating pets."
The ferociously anti-Trump media said Vance's remarks align with the "'fear the brown people' rhetoric pushed by Donald Trump."
NBC also jumped into the act, disputing Vance's claims and those of the townspeople.
It cited the Springfield Police Division, which stated, "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."
"Additionally, there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of residents’ homes. Furthermore, no reports have been made regarding members of the immigrant community deliberately disrupting traffic," the police said.Â
Vice president Harris is proud of her role in protecting Haitian migrants – "newcomers," as the Dems prefer – and hoisting them en masse onto previous high-trust US cities, like Springfield. She said:
"Starting with our administration, we gave TPS, temporary protected status, to Haitian migrants – 55,000. And then more recently, we extended temporary protected status to over a 100,000 Haitian migrants for that very reason – that they need support, they need protection."
In the news release, Ohio's attorney general said his office "will exhaust all possibilities to address [Springfield's] worsening situation."Â
"The problem is not migrants, it is way, way too many migrants in a short period of time," Yost observed. "The problem is a massive increase in the population without any communication or assistance from the federal government."
Clark County, in which Springfield is located, has been a largely Republican-voting region since 2000. Once considered the archetypal political bellwether, Ohio, too, is now considered a Red state. But all that may soon change as the Biden-Harris administration strategically pitches the tents of surging numbers of migrants – their would-be voters – in traditionally Red territories.
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Dr. Barbara Toth has a doctorate in rhetoric and composition from Bowling Green State University. She has taught at universities in the US, China and Saudi Arabia. Her work in setting up a writing center at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahmen University, an all-women's university in Riyadh, has been cited in American journals. Toth has published academic and non-academic articles and poems internationally.
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