Former President Donald Trump is vowing to revoke Temporary Protected Status and deport the Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio — an escalation of rhetoric against a community that has bombarded his campaign with misinformation for weeks.
“I would absolutely repeal it and take them back to their country,” Trump told NewsNation.
The Republican presidential candidate’s attack on the migrants in Springfield has been a focus of his campaign in recent weeks, including his now infamous line in the debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, where he accused the migrants of eating their neighbors’ pets – an unfounded claim. that nevertheless led to bomb threats against schools in Springfield. Trump’s running mate, Republican Senator JD Vance of Ohio, had reposted the claims on social media ahead of the debate.
In his interview with NewsNation, Trump said the influx of migrants into the community “just doesn’t work” and “you have to remove the people; we cannot destroy our country.” According to the Associated Press, about 15,000 Haitian migrants have moved to Springfield in recent years.
Temporary Protected Status allows migrants to remain in the U.S. if it is not safe to return to their country. In many cases, countries experience armed conflict, but environmental disasters and other circumstances can also lead to TPS being granted. There are currently 16 countries whose citizens have TPS in the US. According to the American Immigration Council, there were more than 860,000 people in the U.S. with temporary status as of March 31.
Despite continued criticism of their rhetoric around Springfield migrants, Vance and Trump have continued to double their gains. “I will still continue to talk about what the migrants have done to Springfield, Ohio, and what Kamala Harris’ open border has done to Springfield, Ohio,” Vance said on CNN’s State of the Union in mid-September. ”
Some Trump allies believe his continued focus on Springfield has caused his campaign to lose some focus. And Harris has said Trump’s anti-migrant rhetoric “must stop.”
“Regardless of someone’s background, race, gender, geographic location, I know people are deeply disturbed by what’s happening to that community in Springfield, Ohio, and it has to stop,” Harris said in an interview with the National. Association of Black Journalists in September.
