Everyone is asking the same question: “Why Springfield?” So what brings thousands of immigrants, especially from Haiti, to the small Ohio town?
The spotlight on Springfield was thrown by the first Harris-Trump debate, when the former US president and current Republican candidate, when asked about immigration, said: “In Springfield, they eat the dogs, they eat the cats, they eat the pets.” The claim was denied by many quarters. But the question remained: Why did a Haitian community take root there?
There is no official count. But Mayor Rob Roux told CNN that the city’s population has grown by about 25 percent in the past three years, in part due to the arrival of immigrants from Haiti. An estimated 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants live in Clark County, which includes Springfield. Of that group, about 10,000 to 12,000 are Haitian, CNN reports.
Word of mouth
The 2020 census estimated that about 60,000 people lived in Springfield, and 2022 data from the American Community Survey showed that about 2% of the city’s population was born outside the U.S. Did any government program send them there to relocate? No. Immigrants chose to live in Springfield because of the low cost of living and available jobs, according to the city’s website, which notes that “no government entity is responsible for the influx of Haitians into Clark County.”
Springfield officials and residents who spoke to CNN say the city’s job opportunities and word-of-mouth “advertising” have resulted in a growing influx of immigrants.
Legal entry and stay
The first immigrants saw the opportunities, told their family and friends, and very quickly the Haitians who came to the US heard about this particular area in particular. It was very important for the companies in the area to need additional labor, and so they viewed the reception of the immigrants very positively.
It should be noted that these are not irregular immigrants, but rather people who have obtained special authorization to enter the country and a residence card. More than 210,000 Haitians have immigrated legally to the United States.