A wave of controversy filled the air after the second 2024 Presidential Debate held between former president Donald Trump and current vice president Kamala Harris on Tuesday, September 10.
Although this debate introduced voters to the political and social viewpoints of Trump and Harris, it also sparked many concerns among the political world. One statement made by Trump sparked outrage as it failed to speak truthfully about a growing immigrant population in the U.S.
During this debate, Trump accuses Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio of eating pets and even addresses it as a problem.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in,” Trump said during the ABC News presidential debate.
Following this statement, a plethora of news articles crowded the internet, with many reporters referring to his remarks as “racist
” and “dehumanizing,” also mentioning his aim to deport these residents back to their homeland.
Trump threatened to revoke the Temporary Protected Status and strip Haitian immigrants in Springfield of the possibilities a new life in the U.S. has to offer.
“Absolutely I’d revoke it, and I’d bring them back to their country,” Trump said during an interview with News Nation.
Not only has this situation triggered an uproar of ange
r and fear in Haitian immigrants, the city has encountered countless threats.
According to AP News, Springfield has faced more than 30 hoax bomb threats, stemming from foreign countries and the U.S. towards schools and government buildings, which have urged citizens to evacuate in fear.
Because of the escalation of this problem, Ohio governor Mike DeWine has taken action to quiet the storm and shed light on Haitian residents in Springfield.
In an interview with PBS News, DeWine acknowledges their legal status in the U.S. and mentions their desire to work, which has been a “boost to the economy” after the lack of workers due to the pandemic.
DeWine believes that these remarks have been detrimental.
“They’re very hurtful for these men and women who work very very hard,” DeWine said.
