Trump says he will revoke temporary protected status for Haitian migrants in Springfield if elected

Trump previously said he would carry out “the largest deportation in the history of our country,” starting in Springfield, and said he would send migrants to Venezuela even though most in Springfield are from Haiti.

About 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian migrants have legally settled in Springfield, city officials say, after the U.S. granted them temporary protected status, allowing them to live and work here for a limited period. In June, the government extended temporary protected status for Haiti until February 2026.

Officials have said the influx of migrants into Springfield has strained schools, health care and other services in the city of about 60,000, which the state is trying to alleviate.

Springfield has been in the national spotlight since Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D., Vance amplified baseless rumors that Haitians are eating their neighbors’ pets as they try to boost their political message around illegal immigration. City and state officials have refuted the unsupported claims.

“They eat the dogs, the people that came in, they eat the cats,” Trump said during a presidential debate last month. “This is what is happening in our country, and it is a shame.”

The rumors caused chaos in Springfield, leading to threats against the city and its schools. Gov. Mike DeWine sent state troopers to Springfield to conduct daily searches of schools so they could reopen.

Neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and the Proud Boys have infiltrated the community to harass the mayor and Haitian migrants, according to new court documents filed in Springfield.

“Did you see what happened to (Springfield)? It’s overrun. You can’t do that to people. I would revoke (the protected status) and I would take (the migrants) back to their country,” Trump told NewsNation.

Vance discussed Springfield again during the debate with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz during Tuesday’s vice presidential debate.

“In Springfield, and in communities across the country, you have schools that are overwhelmed, housing that is completely unaffordable because we have brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce housing,” he said.

During the debate, Walz ripped Trump and Vance over their rhetoric about Springfield.

“I believe Senator Vance wants to solve this, but by standing behind Donald Trump and not working together to find a solution, it becomes a talking point, and when it becomes such a talking point, we dehumanize and vilify other people. Walz said.