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Ohio Residents Fear For Their Lives As Haitian Immigrants Destroy Their City: "We Have Been Invaded"

"They're in the park, grabbing up ducks by their neck, and cutting their head off and walking off with them and eating them," a frustrated resident says in a city commission meeting. Here is what other Springfield residents have reported about the Haitian immigrants.

By Meredith Evans2 min read
Getty/halbergman

As many as 20,000 illegal and legal Haitian immigrants have moved to Springfield, Ohio, a town of just over 58,000 people.

In 2023, tensions escalated when Haitian immigrant Hermanio Joseph, 36, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide. Joseph had been driving a minivan that crashed into a school bus from Northwestern Local Schools on the morning of August 22, resulting in the tragic death of 11-year-old Aiden Clark, who was thrown from the bus during the collision.

What Springfield Residents Are Saying about Haitian Immigrants

During a recent city commission meeting, numerous Springfield residents expressed their fears and frustrations over the harrowing changes they've witnessed in their hometown. One woman reflected on her drive through the city, describing how Springfield now feels unfamiliar, almost foreign, with “giant holes in some of our buildings” and old landmarks replaced by signs in a different language. The woman recalled childhood memories of walking from her grandmother's house without fear, visiting local spots like the Blue Fox for lunch, and dropping pennies in the fountain.

She suggests the Haitian immigrants have radically changed the city for the worse. "I feel like we have been invaded by some sort of pest," she said in a viral video uploaded to X. "I'm angry that my friends and family are packing up and moving away. I'm angry that foreigners are using up the resources that were set up for the Americans that reside here."

"And let me be clear, this is not about race. This is about people being given the privilege of coming here from another country and having no respect for our people, our land, or our life's work. People living their life here the way they did in Haiti, angry, stealing, polluting, living in filth and acting like animals," she added.

According to her testimony, immigrants are "Opening containers in our grocery stores, helping themselves to what's inside and throwing the rest onto the shelves and floors, pulling off of the highway to publicly clean and gut the roadkill," and "stealing animals from farmers and leaving their severed heads at the site of an old school where children play, relieving themselves in public, making some barbaric stew out of the birds that live in our park."

"This is insanity, and it has to stop," she pleaded. "What will become of Springfield? Where will we be in five years? The thought terrifies me. Will it be some sort of dystopian wasteland with most of our original residents having moved away and those that cannot afford to move being locked inside their homes living in fear?"

Man Says Immigrants Are Killing Ducks at Parks

A disgruntled resident addressed city officials in a meeting, “I see what's going on in these streets, and I see you guys are sitting up there in them comfy chairs and suits. And I'm getting out here every day and I'm broadcasting this and you guys are just sitting up there in suits.”

“I really challenge you guys to get out here and do something,” he pleaded. “These Haitians are running into trash cans. They're running into buildings.” He goes on to say that immigrants are “flipping cars in the middle of the street” and can’t believe how city officials could be “comfortable with this,” suggesting someone must be getting paid to let these atrocities happen. 

He said immigrants are killing ducks at the park to eat them. “They're in the park, grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking off with them,” he said. In addition, the roads have been unsafe due to some inexperienced drivers who know little about the country’s traffic laws.

Woman Feels Unsafe in Her Neighborhood

An older lady begged for help. She no longer feels safe in her home of 45 years and will be leaving Springfield with her husband. She says that men are in her "front yard screaming at me, throwing mattresses in my front yard."

Like many Springfield residents, this woman does not want to leave her home. But what choice does she have if city officials or the current administration won't help their own people? "Who's protecting us if we're protecting them?" she asked. "Who's protecting me? I want out of this town. I am sorry. Please give me a reason to stay."

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