SPRINGFIELD, Ohio—Talk about Haitian migrants reportedly killing and eating cats and dogs catapulted Springfield, Ohio, onto the national stage, but the subject was rarely mentioned during Vivek Ramaswamy’s town hall there on Sept. 19.
Most of the residents focused on concerns about the consistently growing Haitian population. They are frustrated over safety issues and a strain on resources among other issues.
Several speakers at the town hall chastised city leaders for what they believe is a lack of interest in listening to their views.
“We are at the stage right now where we’ve been put down and called racist, not only in print but also to our face at city commission meetings. Now we’re at a level of desperation,” Springfield resident Diana Daniels told Ramaswamy.
“If our city commission had come to us and listened to us, we probably wouldn’t need to be here.
“I’m hopeful that the city commission will now understand that you cannot disregard your citizens because this is what you end up with when you ignore our voices.”
A tech entrepreneur who grew up in Ohio and lives in suburban Columbus, Ramaswamy gained national attention when he ran for president in the Republican primary.
He eventually left the race, endorsed former President Donald Trump, and has actively campaigned for Trump.
He said he made frequent visits to Springfield as a child and wanted to host an event where residents could be heard.
Before the town hall, he met with city officials and Haitian community leaders.
Around 250 people filled the room at the event center where Ramaswamy spoke. Another 100 attendees watched the address in an overflow area.
Police surrounded the building and the block around the event center.
One attendee told Ramaswamy that he should run for governor. The audience roared in approval prompting him to say, “I’m a little more inclined than I was 10 seconds ago.”
Ramaswamy said he offered a $100,000 contribution to a health care nonprofit organization in Springfield but was rejected.
“I think that it has something to do with my name. I can only speculate. It has something with my political perspective or otherwise,” Ramaswamy said, adding that he would donate the money to another local organization.
A blue-collar city, Springfield’s population was about 60,000 until the past few years, when an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian immigrants arrived in the city.
Buses drop off more migrants every day, and residents believe the Haitian population has far eclipsed 20,000.
This includes immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally and those who overstayed their visas.
In recent days, tensions have increased in Springfield after viral social media posts emerged of local residents alleging that Haitian immigrants were killing and eating dogs, cats, and geese in the city, which is located midway between Dayton and Columbus in southwest Ohio.
During the presidential debate on Sept. 10, former President Donald Trump said: “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. ... They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Daniels told The Epoch Times that Trump’s comments have opened discussions about the plethora of concerns residents have about the presence of the Haitian immigrants, including a rise in traffic accidents, auto insurance rates, and crime.
Ramaswamy said that motivated him to hold the town hall.
“I’m not here to talk about the issues the media has really loved to obsess over,” Ramaswamy said.
“Cats and dogs, we’re not talking about it. We’re talking about human beings who have been affected in this community.
“We’ve been told, mostly by the media, to shut up, sit down, do as you’re told, to sweep it under the rug, or else you’re guilty of some sin.
“I just think that the truth in this country is we don’t have to agree on everything. We really don’t. We never have in America. But the beauty of this country is we should be able to talk about it in the open, and that’s what we’re going to do tonight.”
More than an hour before the town hall, a long line stretched the length of a city block.
Springfield resident Lisa Hayes stood in line holding a sign, “What About Our Families?”
She echoed the concerns many of her fellow citizens have told The Epoch Times.
“It breaks my heart that we’re not taking care of our families. We’re taking care of everybody else but our families, who are in need,” Hayes said.
“It took my granddaughter four months to get medical care for her through Job and Family Services. She’s pregnant and she works two full-time jobs.”
Chrissy Phelps said she has lived in Springfield for 66 years.
She scolded city leaders for not organizing a similar event that allowed citizens to express their concerns and views.
“How will you know about a city if you’re not bringing the people together, right, and talking to them?” she told Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy noted that he invited city leaders to attend the event. None of the city council members were present.
“I actually think they do care, at least the subset I met with, but I will tell you what I do see happening in the country,” he said.
“I think there’s a culture of fear. I think the reason they’re not here tonight is not because they don’t care about this, it’s because they’re scared.”
Ramaswamy added that he believes transparency is needed from public officials.
“If you work in a company, your CEO’s the boss of your company. But people mix this up when you’re in government and you’re a city official,” he said.
“What I hope to do today is to show that actually talking to the people of Springfield isn’t that scary.
“These are just good, patriotic Americans who love their country and love their city, who are struggling because the people who they elected to run their federal government all the way down, have let them down, and you don’t have to be scared of actually being face to face with your fellow citizens.”
At a Sept. 18 rally in New York, Trump said that he will be in Springfield in the next two weeks.
“You may never see me again, but that’s OK. I gotta do what I gotta do,” Trump said, alluding to the recent assassination attempts targeting him.
Regarding a potential visit to Springfield by Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said that it would be fine with him if they decide not to make that stop.
Ramaswamy said at the town hall that his visit, and Trump’s potential presence in the community, “opens up this kind of dialogue we’re not able to have in this country.”
“Yes, I do think that’s a good thing in moving us forward,” he said.
Trump has said that, if elected, he would implement a mass deportation plan and start with cities such as Springfield.
Ramaswamy touched on the issue at the town hall.
He said that immigrants who have committed a crime in the United States and are currently incarcerated should not be allowed to remain in the country.
Some residents told him they wonder when the arrival of Haitian immigrants will end.
“The next thing you got to do is like you’ve got a clogged drain, right?” he said. “What do you do? The first thing you do is you turn off the faucet. You don’t try to clean the drain while you leave the faucet on.
“Use your military to secure the border. Use the National Guard if necessary, aquatic barriers in the Rio Grande, and yes, complete the construction of the wall, which is not a racist or xenophobic action.”
The immigration debate among residents, local officials, and immigrants reached a breaking point last summer when 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed in a traffic accident that involved a Haitian immigrant.
The boy was aboard a school bus that collided with a minivan driven by 36-year-old Hermanio Joseph that crossed over the dividing line.
Joseph was sentenced to nine to 13 1/2 years in prison for first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter and fourth-degree felony vehicular homicide.
A day after her 71st birthday last December, Springfield grandmother Kathy Heaton was killed when a car driven by a Haitian immigrant struck her while she was gathering her garbage cans.
Prosecutors decided that the driver, 38-year-old Robenson Louis, wouldn’t be charged.
Springfield resident Terry Adkins told The Epoch Times after the town hall that traffic safety has locals on edge.
“Now we have to be concerned every time we drive because the roads aren’t safe. Most of the Haitian migrants only have a learner’s permit and don’t have insurance,” Adkins said.
“Most of them don’t know English and they don’t know how to read road signs. They don’t know the traffic laws. We take a risk every time we get into our cars now.”
Setys Kelly, a longtime Springfield resident, told The Epoch Times that Rue and city council members “knew about this for years but didn’t put in place proper plans to deal with the influx of Haitians while not taking away from the people of Springfield.”
Kelly said that residents are so “fed up” with what is happening in Springfield that they are getting involved.
“People are starting to wake up now learning how important it is to be involved in government to know what’s going on, because in the end, it affects everyone,” Kelly said.
“Until President Trump said what he said at the debate, nobody outside of where we live was really paying attention to what’s happening here, but it’s been going on for a long time, and it can’t be sustained.”
The Epoch Times reached out to the City of Springfield and the Springfield Police Department for comments following the town hall, but a response was not received.
Rue issued an emergency proclamation on Sept. 19, which allows the city to address public safety concerns after bomb threats targeted city buildings, schools, and health care facilities over the last week.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said this week that the bomb threats originated from overseas.
Lindsay Aime, who serves as the treasurer for the Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield, told The Epoch Times that he acknowledges that there are cultural differences between Haitian immigrants and Springfield residents.
He encourages residents to be patient as the Haitian population adapts to American customs.
“Learning the language and the culture takes time. I don’t think Americans understand how difficult it is. We don’t have an established Haitian community here like in bigger cities. We need more time to integrate ourselves here. Just give us time,” Aime said.
“We want to have a positive presence here, and we’re here to stay. We can’t go back to Haiti.”
