After bomb threats and political vitriol, Ohio’s mayor says enough is enough

The mayor of the Ohio city at the center of an immigration firestorm says his city needs help – not the hatred stoked by politicians and extremists.

“We are suffering,” Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said in an interview with the New York Times on Thursday.

Tensions over Springfield's growing Haitian population escalated this week after former President Donald Trump used the presidential debate to spread debunked rumors that Haitians steal and eat pets.

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On Thursday, bomb threats led to the evacuation of Springfield City Hall, two schools and the local state Department of Motor Vehicles facility.

Rue said the emailed threats were a “hateful response to immigration in our city.”

“Of course, the negative reactions and threats are very sad and difficult to cope with,” he said. “We want to move forward together, and that only becomes more difficult when there are acts of violence and threats.”

Even before the debate, the city had attracted attention, spurred on by Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance, and others who sought to portray the influx of Haitians as a failure of the Biden administration's immigration policies.

“It’s frustrating when politicians on the national stage misrepresent what is actually happening and misrepresent our community,” Rue said.

While the arrival of thousands of Haitian immigrants has placed a strain on schools and some government agencies, most Haitians are in the United States legally and many have taken jobs in local industries.

But it was the death of 11-year-old Aiden Clark last year when his school bus was hit by a minivan driven by a Haitian immigrant that first sparked anger and fear and ultimately plunged Springfield into a bitter national debate over immigration.

On Tuesday, Vance referenced Aiden in a post on social media platform X, saying that “a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant.”

Later that day, Aiden's father Nathan Clark attacked Vance and others, claiming they were exploiting his son's death for political purposes.

“My son was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti,” Clark, a teacher, said at a Springfield City Commission meeting.

“This tragedy is felt throughout the community, throughout the state and even throughout the country, but we must not turn it into hate,” he continued.

But soon after the presidential debate began that evening, Trump spoke about the city and spread debunked claims about Haitians. “In Springfield, they eat the dogs. The people who came here eat the cats. They eat – they eat the pets of the people who live there.”

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and other Republicans posted mocking videos featuring kittens that went viral. Elon Musk also joined in the social media frenzy.

The Haitians have filled jobs in manufacturing, distribution and other sectors and have been welcomed by many employers. But the volume and pace of arrivals has put pressure on housing, health care and schools in the city, which lies between Columbus and Dayton and had a population of nearly 60,000 in 2020, according to census figures that year.

It is estimated that the number of Haitians who have arrived is between 12,000 and 20,000.

“We cannot deny that a population growth of 25 to 30 percent within three years would overwhelm supply capacities,” said Rue.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week that the state would provide $2.5 million to Springfield to ease burdens on primary health care and that he would deploy members of the state highway patrol to improve traffic safety. The mayor said he is still hoping for federal help.

Some residents have voiced their displeasure with the newcomers at city commission meetings. Several said the Haitians were “invading” their city and gaining advantages to the detriment of Americans. Some also said Haitians had low IQs and uttered other racist phrases.

Video of Clark's speech circulated widely in conservative media, with some outlets, including the far-right digital outlet The Post Millennial, picking up on Clark's remark that he wished his son had been killed by a 60-year-old white man because then the family would have been spared from “hateful people.”

Another website, Blaze Media, founded by former Fox News host Glenn Beck, took the same stance. The National Justice Party, which the Anti-Defamation League calls a white supremacist group, shared the page on Telegram late Tuesday with the threatening comment: “These parents should be executed.”

The post and threat were then shared by other Telegram users. The posts were reported by The Racket, an online newsletter.

Springfield Mayor Rue said he has received a flood of threatening phone calls.

Last month, Nazi sympathizers – masked men in matching red shirts, black pants and boots – waved swastika flags as they marched in downtown Springfield near a jazz festival. At least two of the men, who authorities said were outsiders, carried rifles.

Among the targets of Thursday's bomb threat was an elementary school with a large population of Haitian students. Fear has been high in Springfield's Haitian community this week, said Vilés Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Community Health and Support Center.

Dorsainvil said he has received many calls from families concerned about the safety of their children.

“People were panicking,” he said. “I tried to explain to them that it was just politics.”

Vance's campaign team joined the tensions Thursday night. “Senator Vance condemns these threats and believes those responsible should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Luke Schroeder, a spokesman for the vice presidential candidate.

Haiti has been plagued by violence, political unrest and a humanitarian crisis that has forced tens of thousands of Haitians to flee to other countries, including Brazil, Chile and the United States.

“At the end of the day, we're here,” Dorsanivil said. “We've been through a lot and we're resilient people.”

In a Haitian WhatsApp chat group, Haitian leaders urged community members to “stay calm, stay informed, stay safe and stay connected.”

“Don’t let tension and fear lead you to make bad decisions,” the message says in Haitian Creole.

“Don’t listen to rumors or unconfirmed information,” they were advised, according to a screenshot provided to the Times and translated into English.

“I feel uncomfortable in this situation. I wonder what to do,” said Jean Frantz, 35, a father of two.

“They are spreading lies that I cannot believe,” he said. “We work, pay taxes, buy cars and respect the law.”

Rue said his message to the Haitian community was one of compassion. “I'm sorry that something like this is happening in our community and that they have to endure this kind of hate,” he said.

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