Uncertainty in Springfield, the Ohio city put on the map by Trump’s false claims about immigrants

Questions afterwards

On Sunday, a stream of more than 100 people poured out of the Haitian Community Aid and Support Center, which also serves as a church. Some families celebrated their baptisms while others chatted in Creole.

Sitting in the back of a large room, Julio Dumano reflected on the past week.

“At first we were very scared because they promised to deport us, but maybe they will change their minds,” he said, repeating a refrain shared by several residents of Haiti. “Like a good Christian, we will pray and see what happens next.”

Some Haitians have already left the area, he said, spooked by the rumors and vitriol that have accompanied negative attention in recent months. Because there is no official accounting of how many Haitians have moved to the area, the city does not know how many have left.

When asked to comment on the exodus, Mayor Rob Rue nodded in apparent disappointment.

“That didn’t make me feel good,” he said. “It wasn’t the goal.”

The goal in Springfield has always been to boost the population and stimulate the economy after a long period of stagnation, officials say. The province encouraged businesses to create jobs, which attracted a first wave of Haitian immigrants.

Clark County Commissioner Melanie Wilt, who was born and raised in the area, said this is the first time in her life she has seen so many new businesses, residential areas and young families moving to Springfield. The county will continue to pursue that mission under the Trump White House, she said.

“The administration’s biggest impact had already been made,” she said, referring to Trump and Vance’s immigration rhetoric. “We remain on standby for whatever comes next.”

During the last Trump administration, several municipalities introduced sanctuary city policies in an effort to stem deportations. Some within Springfield’s activist network wondered if they could duplicate similar efforts here.

Rue, a Republican but whose position is nonpartisan, immediately dismissed the idea when asked and said he would continue to follow federal policy under the new administration.