AP PHOTOS: Life continues for Ohio community after Trump falsely accused Haitians of eating pets
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Their city has been in the eye of a political storm since former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, falsely accused legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield of eating dogs and cats.
One consequence: a rash of hoax bomb threats that forced evacuations and closures of schools, government buildings and elected officials’ homes.
But the immigrants and their neighbors in this predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000 have gone on with their lives – going for a run through downtown, shooting hoops with friends, gathering with family for supper at a food hall called The Market.
A man walks through Downtown Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Some out-of-towners – seeking to show support for the Haitians – have joined locals in patronizing the Rose Goute Creole Restaurant, which features Haitian cuisine.
Undismayed by the far-flung political rancor, lifelong Springfield residents Kelsey Fannon and Kassidy Fannon sat happily on their front porch Monday evening, playing with their new puppy and celebrating how they had spent the day deep-cleaning their entire house.
Thousands of Haitian immigrants have settled in recent years in Springfield, where they have found work in factories and warehouses that were struggling to fill job openings. The sudden influx has strained schools, health care facilities and city services and driven up the cost of housing – but the mayor, civic leaders and local pastors have welcomed them.
Karl Mattila, left, and his wife Linda, of Medway, Ohio, talk with Haitian and longtime Springfield resident Jacob Payen at Rose Goute Creole Restaurant in Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
The sun sets behind St. Raphael Catholic church, which holds services in Creole for Haitian immigrants, in Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
A Springfield police officer stands watch during a service in support of the Haitian community at St. Raphael Catholic church in Springfield, Ohio, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Springfield native Jaheim Almon, left, plays basketball with a group of neighbors in Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Lifelong Springfield residents Lainey Bogard, left, Kelsey Fannon, center, and Kassidy Fannon sit on the front porch with their dog, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Kassidy Fannon stands on the front porch of her home in Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Runners pass through Downtown Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Romane Pierre of Rose Goute Creole Restaurant in Springfield, Ohio, helps a line of customers, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
A mural depicting Hattie Moseley, a Springfield Civil Rights activist who was instrumental in battling the segregation of Fulton Elementary School, is painted on the WesBanco building on East Main Street in Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
The sun rises over the city of Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)