Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, once accused of eating local pets, are reportedly leaving the city following Trump’s election. Triggered by his threats of mass deportations, which he pledged to enforce upon taking office in January, many who settled there during Biden’s administration are now seeking shelter. Trump plans to declare a national emergency to remove millions of migrants who entered the U.S. under Biden.

Haitian migrants in Ohio ‘fleeing’ US

Trump‘s inflammatory remarks during a September presidential debate, where he supported JD Vance’s false claims about Haitians eating “cats and dogs,” were met with a huge backlash. Despite local officials debunking these allegations, many MAGA-backed accounts kept fueling the rumours on social media for days making unfounded claims. According to CBS, amid fears of the new administration’s impact, many of the estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian residents in Springfield are opting to leave, while others remain uncertain about their future.

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“We’re going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country, and we’re going to start with Springfield and Aurora,” Trump told reporters on September 13. To likely execute this plan as soon as possible, last week, he appointed Tom Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as his “border czar” to oversee the mass deportation efforts.

Haitian migrant describes the fear of deportation

CBS interviewed several Haitians living in Springfield, including Ketlie Moise, who, like many of her fellow migrants, is in the U.S. legally under Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—a program Trump has promised to end. “I stay here,” Moise told the news outlet. “I do two jobs to make my business. That’s why I don’t go back to Haiti.” The restaurant owner shared that at least 10 of her neighbors have recently departed from Springfield, including her own daughter. Moise revealed that when her daughter expressed the desire to leave, she considered following her.

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The economical impact

The potential deportation of Haitian migrants from Springfield, Ohio, is causing significant concern due to its potential economic impact. A lot of Haitians are working in factories, stores, and warehouses, playing a key role in helping fill jobs that no one else wants. Leaders like Melanie Flax Wilt, who works for the County, are worried that getting these workers gone would mess up the local money flow. The city has already struggled to handle the rapid influx of 10,000 to 15,000 Haitian migrants over the past three years, drawn by job opportunities and low living costs.

With Trump planning to revoke Temporary Protected Status, which many of the migrants hold, the region faces uncertainty about how its businesses and services will cope without this workforce.