Officials in Springfield, Ohio, temporarily closed City Hall on Thursday due to bomb threats, the city announced on its website.
The threats come as Haitian immigrants grow increasingly fearful of being targeted for attack after former President Donald Trump and his running mate for Vice President J.D. Vance spread false claims about Haitians kidnapping and eating neighbors’ wild and domestic animals.
The city’s city manager has said there have been no reports to confirm the social media rumors that have taken hold among Trump supporters and Tesla founder Elon Musk.
The city said the bomb threats were made Thursday “to multiple facilities in Springfield.”
An online Haitian media outlet from Springfield warned residents in a voicemail to remain vigilant, saying the threats had been made at several schools frequented by Haitian children.
Springfield has seen an influx of immigrants from Haiti in recent years due to its low cost of living and job opportunities. Contrary to Trump supporters’ claims, many arrived based on word of mouth from friends and family already in town. They are also in the country legally, taking advantage of temporary immigration protections recently granted by the Biden administration in the face of Haiti’s ongoing gang violence and humanitarian crisis, or are in the process of seeking asylum through immigration courts.
Both Haitian-American elected officials, the Haitian Lawyers Association and the Haitian government have condemned the false claims while expressing solidarity with Haitians in Springfield.
“Donald Trump is once again fixating on fictional stories rooted in racist stereotypes, hoping to scare Americans into voting for him,” said Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a South Florida Democrat who is the first Haitian American Democrat elected to Congress.
She said Trump’s “outrageous comment about immigrants eating the pets of residents of Springfield, Ohio, is nothing more than a desperate attempt to sow fear and division. It is offensive, it is false, and it is rooted in the worst kinds of stereotypes.”
“Haitians and other immigrants come to this country with a commitment to education, hard work and building a better life, not just for themselves but for all of us. They contribute to our economy, enrich our culture and strengthen our communities,” she said. “Trump’s comments are a distraction from the real issues we face, and we will not be fooled.”
Florida House Rep. Dotie Joseph, a North Miami Democrat, accused Vance, a fellow attorney, of trying to scapegoat Haitians. Both he and Trump, she said, owe the Haitian community an apology.
“If you don’t have integrity, you don’t care about the truth, you don’t care about the impact on people, and you just want attention,” she said.
