Trump vows mass deportations from town rocked by ‘pet-eating’ lies
Donald Trump has announced plans to deport migrants from a small Ohio town amid unfounded allegations that Haitian immigrants there have been harming pets and park animals.
On Friday, Trump stated, “We’re going to start with Springfield,” asserting that the town had been “destroyed” by immigration issues. He also mentioned a second city in Colorado, which right-wing commentators have falsely claimed is controlled by a Venezuelan gang.
Springfield officials report that these disproven allegations have caused significant distress in the community, leading to violent threats that have prompted school closures.
President Joe Biden urged for calm on Friday, condemning the criticisms of Haitians in Springfield as “simply wrong.”
“This has to stop, what he’s doing. It has to stop,” Biden said regarding Trump’s statements.
Trump’s pledge follows nearly a week of false accusations about migrants harming pets and children in Springfield. The claims of animal mistreatment, which Trump reiterated in his debate with Kamala Harris on Tuesday, have been debunked by Springfield’s police chief, mayor, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
On Friday, three Springfield schools were evacuated due to bomb threats, with at least one of the threats containing derogatory comments about Haitians, according to Mayor Bob Rue.
It comes after city hall and several other buildings, as well as one school, were evacuated on Thursday due to threats.
Trump was asked whether he was considering a visit to the town during a press conference at his golf course in Los Angeles on Friday.
“I can say this, we will do large deportations from Springfield, Ohio – large deportations. We’re going to get these people out. We’re bringing them back to Venezuela,” he said.
The migrants in Springfield are mostly from Haiti, and have legal permission to be in the US under a federal programme for Haitians.
It was not immediately clear why Trump mentioned Venezuela. Although throughout his remarks he made references to an influx of Venezuelan migrants to Aurora, Colorado, and said deportations would also begin there if he won the presidential election in November.
On Friday, Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted posted a photo online of two migratory Canadian geese. “Most Americans agree that these migrants should be deported,” he said.
