Republican candidate Donald Trump pledged to conduct mass deportation of Haitian immigrants from Springfield, Ohio, despite most of them being in the US legally, Reuters reports.
His comments follow false claims on social media that Haitian arrivals were eating household pets, which Trump had mentioned during a recent presidential debate. These remarks have raised tensions in the city and sparked bomb threats against Springfield schools, causing evacuations. US President Joe Biden condemned the attacks on the Haitian community, calling for an end to the hostility.
The Biden administration had previously extended Temporary Protected Status for Haitians due to ongoing violence and food insecurity in Haiti. Tensions in Springfield, fueled by the influx of Haitian immigrants, have strained social services, though they have also boosted the local economy.
