Republican Gov. Mike DeWine Warns Of Lost ‘Economic Progress’ If Haitians Leave Springfield

Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine claimed that the economic progress made in Springfield would be lost if the thousands of Haitians currently living there were to leave.

Springfield attracted widespread media attention following viral online claims about Haitian migrants allegedly eating pets, and many longtime residents saying the vast influx of migrants has caused strain to the city’s infrastructure. However, the Republican governor on Wednesday said the thousands of Haitians who’ve made Springfield home are essential for the city’s job sector.

“I was asked the question several weeks ago: What would happen if all the Haitians were gone from Springfield?’ DeWine said during a press conference that pertained to declining overdose deaths in Ohio. “And the reality is that some of the economic progress that we have made at Springfield will go away.”

“Haitians came here to work,” the Republican governor said. “They were hired because there was work. They were hired because there were openings that could not be filled by companies.”

Springfield was thrust into the national spotlight in September after it was alleged on a social media page for local residents that a Haitian migrant had been spotted butchering a pet cat for consumption. That claim gained further attention when former President Donald Trump made mention of it it during his presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Daily Caller News Foundation visited Springfield and spoke to longtime residents about the attention surrounding the town. While no one who spoke with the DCNF could confirm claims of pet-eating by migrants, many locals expressed dismay at the sheer number of Haitian migrants entering the relatively small town — with estimates saying 15,000 to 20,000 Haitians descended into Springfield in just the last several years, overwhelming a city of fewer than 60,000.

The enormous influx of Haitian migrants has strained the city’s transportation, education and other social services, locals told the DCNF. City officials have also spoken out about the logistical hurdles resulting from the population spike, with the city manager in July warning of a looming housing crisis in Springfield and asking the federal government for help.

Trump, who has made border enforcement a hallmark of his campaign, has previously pledged to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and “bring them back” to their country.

However, a spokesperson for the governor’s office on Thursday told the DCNF that they are unaware of any formal plan by Trump’s team to deport the Haitians living in Springfield.

There were roughly 2.1 million migrant encounters along the U.S-Mexico border in fiscal year 2024, according to the latest data revealed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The latest numbers put the total number of migrant encounters at the southern border during the Biden-Harris administration at approximately 8.5 million — which does not include the roughly half a million migrants flown into the country via the White House’s CHNV program.

The number of illegal border crossings in fiscal year 2024 were the second worst in U.S. history — only surpassed by fiscal year 2023, according to data tracked by CBP.