Ohio City Highlighted Corrects Trump as He Faces Fact Check
Springfield's city manager, along with the father of a boy who was tragically killed in a bus accident, are voicing their disapproval of statements made by candidates and various politicians.
TroibNews 
A city manager in Ohio and the father of a young boy tragically killed in a school bus accident are standing against a right-wing campaign targeting Haitian migrants in their community, a campaign that has been instigated by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance.
Bryan Heck, the city manager of Springfield, Ohio, condemned the false narratives about migrants spread by Trump and Vance. Nathan Clark, who lost his 11-year-old son in an accident involving a Haitian driver last year, stated both men should apologize for exploiting his son's death for political gain.
“This needs to stop now,” Clark stated during a public hearing on Tuesday. “They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”
Their reactions follow Springfield's unexpected rise in the national discourse surrounding migration, with approximately 15,000 Haitian migrants having settled in the city of less than 60,000 residents over the past four years.
Trump and Vance, along with other right-wing politicians and commentators, have actively used this migration influx, along with worries regarding local schools and resources, and Clark's son's tragic accident to fuel broader fears about immigration.
During his debate with Kamala Harris, Trump referenced Springfield twice to criticize the vice president's immigration policies. “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in,” Trump claimed. “They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
He dismissed a fact check from debate moderator David Muir, who indicated that Heck had informed the network no such reports of pets being taken existed. Trump countered, “Maybe that’s a good thing to say for a city manager.”
In a video released on Wednesday, Heck emphasized that Haitian migrants—who are in the U.S. under temporary protected status due to the turmoil in their home country—are valuable contributors to the local workforce and have positively impacted the area’s economy.
“It is disappointing that some of the narrative surrounding our city has been skewed by misinformation circulating on social media and further amplified by political rhetoric in the current highly charged presidential election cycle,” he remarked.
He acknowledged that the influx has put pressure on housing, schools, and health care resources in Springfield, while also benefiting the workforce population.
“While we are experiencing challenges related to the rapid growth of our immigrant population, these challenges are primarily due to the pace of the growth, rather than the rumors being reported,” he added.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has offered assistance to Springfield in dealing with the pressures on schools, health care, and law enforcement caused by the arrival of migrants. Meanwhile, state Attorney General David Yost has stated he will look into legal options to restrict the resettlement of new arrivals in the city.
“The problem is not migrants, it is way, way too many migrants in a short period of time,” Yost asserted.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
Bryan Heck, the city manager of Springfield, Ohio, condemned the false narratives about migrants spread by Trump and Vance. Nathan Clark, who lost his 11-year-old son in an accident involving a Haitian driver last year, stated both men should apologize for exploiting his son's death for political gain.
“This needs to stop now,” Clark stated during a public hearing on Tuesday. “They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”
Their reactions follow Springfield's unexpected rise in the national discourse surrounding migration, with approximately 15,000 Haitian migrants having settled in the city of less than 60,000 residents over the past four years.
Trump and Vance, along with other right-wing politicians and commentators, have actively used this migration influx, along with worries regarding local schools and resources, and Clark's son's tragic accident to fuel broader fears about immigration.
During his debate with Kamala Harris, Trump referenced Springfield twice to criticize the vice president's immigration policies. “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in,” Trump claimed. “They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
He dismissed a fact check from debate moderator David Muir, who indicated that Heck had informed the network no such reports of pets being taken existed. Trump countered, “Maybe that’s a good thing to say for a city manager.”
In a video released on Wednesday, Heck emphasized that Haitian migrants—who are in the U.S. under temporary protected status due to the turmoil in their home country—are valuable contributors to the local workforce and have positively impacted the area’s economy.
“It is disappointing that some of the narrative surrounding our city has been skewed by misinformation circulating on social media and further amplified by political rhetoric in the current highly charged presidential election cycle,” he remarked.
He acknowledged that the influx has put pressure on housing, schools, and health care resources in Springfield, while also benefiting the workforce population.
“While we are experiencing challenges related to the rapid growth of our immigrant population, these challenges are primarily due to the pace of the growth, rather than the rumors being reported,” he added.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has offered assistance to Springfield in dealing with the pressures on schools, health care, and law enforcement caused by the arrival of migrants. Meanwhile, state Attorney General David Yost has stated he will look into legal options to restrict the resettlement of new arrivals in the city.
“The problem is not migrants, it is way, way too many migrants in a short period of time,” Yost asserted.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
