Former President Donald Trump has vowed to revoke the legal immigration status of Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, and deport them back to Haiti if he is re-elected as President. Trump and his running mate JD Vance have made baseless claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, many of whom are legally residing in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), have been abducting and eating pets. Despite facing pushback over these claims, Trump has continued to denounce the migrants and expressed his intention to make their legal status illegal in order to deport them if he wins the upcoming presidential election.
In an interview with NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley, Trump stated that he would revoke TPS for Haitian migrants in Springfield and bring them back to their home country. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, criticized Trump’s plan, highlighting the humanitarian reasons behind granting TPS to individuals from countries experiencing dangerous circumstances. The exact number of Haitians with TPS is uncertain, with some estimates stating that there may be as many as 250,000 Haitians, including 60,000 who have had TPS since the 2010 earthquake. It remains unclear whether Trump plans to revoke TPS for all legal Haitian migrants or only those in Springfield.
Following a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump announced his intention to enact the largest deportation in the country’s history, starting in Springfield and Aurora, Colorado. Despite his claims that Venezuelan gangs have taken over Aurora, city officials including the police chief have refuted these assertions. Legal experts have cast doubts on Trump’s ability to deport legal immigrants, stating that individuals with parole or TPS statuses have legal protections and should not be subject to deportation proceedings unless separate grounds, such as criminal convictions, apply to them. Trump’s plan to revoke TPS would be crucial for the mass deportations he has promised to enforce.
Trump’s focus on Springfield and Aurora reflects his campaign’s anti-immigration stance and promises to crack down on migrant populations. The former president’s rhetoric has sparked controversy and concern, particularly among Haitians in Springfield who have been receiving death threats. Trump’s claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield have been proven false and have elicited widespread criticism, including from Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Despite the backlash, Trump has remained steadfast in his stance, doubling down on his plans to target and deport Haitian migrants if he is re-elected. The implications of Trump’s proposed actions on legal immigrants and the broader immigrant population are yet to be seen, but they signal a continuation of his hardline immigration policies if he returns to office.
