Sept. 15 (UPI) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has sent money and additional state troopers to Springfield to handle a surge in traffic problems he says are the result of an exploding migrant population.
He is also sending $2.5 million to help the city deal with a surge in healthcare issues that have surfaced with the rising migrant population.
The issue has been in the spotlight since former President Donald Trump made baseless claims during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating residential pets, a claim flatly denied by Springfield’s city manager.
During an appearance Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” DeWine called Trump’s claim a false “piece of garbage.”
“Let me tell you what we do know, though,” DeWind continued. “What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work. Ohio is on the move, and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in.”
DeWine acknowledged that the surge in immigrants has caused some problems in the city, namely health care and transportation issues for some Haitian migrants who have never driven before and need basic health care and instruction and resources to learn to drive.
“Now, are there problems connected? Well, sure. There’s — when you go from a population of 58,000 and add 15,000 people onto that, you’re going to have some challenges and some problems: DeWine said on “This Week.” “And we’re addressing those. We’re working on those every single day. Primary care is essential.”
DeWine called for more help from Washington as Springfield deals with the influx of immigrants, specifically asking federal lawmakers for more money and a better plan to handle the migrants.
Other members of the GOP are using Trump’s false claims during the debate as a way to draw attention to their stances on illegal immigration.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, stood by his claim that Haitian migrants were eating pets in Springfield.
“The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes,” Vance said during an interview Sunday on CNN. “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”