Jun. 18—Springfield safety forces are preparing for the likely possibility of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement actions in the city, as well as the potential aftereffects.
City leaders including Mayor Rob Rue discussed the preparations after residents shared concerns during the city commission meeting Tuesday evening.
Rue said the Springfield Police Division and Clark County Sheriff’s Office are well versed in keeping the community safe during times of threat and scrutiny, as evidenced last fall.
“The fact that the president cannot keep our city out of his mouth means that I know that he’s not forgotten us, and so I’m concerned what that outcome will be,” said Rue, who is a Republican. “We want to live in peace and freedom and we do the best we can.”
President Donald Trump on Thursday shared more immigration-focused rhetoric mentioning Springfield on his social media platform Truth Social.
He said of immigrants, “They have stolen American jobs, consumed billions of dollars in free welfare, and turned once idyllic communities, like Springfield, Ohio, into Third World nightmares. I campaigned on, and received a historic mandate for, the largest mass deportation program in American history.”
Resident Adam Banks asked the city to share its plans “for protecting and honoring the citizens of Springfield regarding the potential prospective arrival of immigration and military enforcement agents in the community.”
Banks shared support for immigrants and historical context of European immigration increasing population, leading to more demand on infrastructure while the community still reaped the benefits. He said a “rapid removal” of immigrants would “have enduring negative consequences.”
“Immigrants of every shade of the rainbow, of every native tongue, of every country of origin, have intellectually, culturally and economically enriched the city of Springfield,” Banks said. “They have endlessly expressed their desire to learn existing customs of the community as well as share their own. They have sought to build bridges, strengthen existing bonds and lift up everything that we all love about Springfield.”
Steve Foster, who said he has lived in Springfield his whole life, said he as a child wouldn’t recognize the city now. He expressed concerns about Springfield becoming world news once again, and whether hate groups would cosplay as ICE agents.
Rue said whether he likes how Haitian immigrants arrived to Springfield, they are here “and they need to be treated fairly.” He criticized a lack of immigration reform “for many administrations” leading to “influx instead of integration.”
Trump swinging “the pendulum so far to the other side” leaves “no room for correction,” opinion or to evaluate the positive financial impacts the population has had, Rue said.
The city will focus on safety and infrastructure and will not “stand in the way” of federal enforcement, Rue said.
“We have a plan to make sure the citizens around are safe,” Rue said.
Trump and the Department of Homeland Security in the past month have sped up efforts to deport more immigrants, in part by revoking certain people’s status. The vast majority of Haitian immigrants in Springfield are believed to have entered the United States on humanitarian parole — a then-legal program that Trump’s team has since ended — and many have received other immigration designations such as Temporary Protected Status.
In September, Trump and other Republican figures amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants here were eating pets.
What followed were weeks of bomb threats to schools, government offices and businesses and personal threats to outspoken supporters of Haitian immigrants and city officials.
One of city’s main struggles remains mischaracterization, Rue said.
“We’re a city with a lot of problems. At the same time, we’re a city with a lot of momentum forward, and that is the truth,” Rue said.