Did you watch the Trump versus Harris debate?
Yes, I did.
What was your reaction upon hearing Springfield mentioned by Trump?
We were not happy at all.
And why was that?
Because it cast bad light on Springfield and the Haitian immigrants here. We were not happy that the whole country heard that our Haitian immigrants were eating people’s pets, and we knew it wasn’t true, and it was proved that it wasn’t true, and yet that kept spreading.
What role do Haitian immigrants play in your community?
They’re working in our factories and increasing the business here because we can’t get enough local people to fill the jobs. McGregor Metal has 350 employees, and 10% of them are Haitian immigrants, and they’re really, really happy with them. The Haitian people are hardworking people and want to better themselves, and they send money home to help their relatives in Haiti. So I’m happy to have them here, and I think a lot of people are.
Were there any people who were unhappy with the immigrant presence?
Oh, yeah. Some people are very, very upset about it because there’s so many of the immigrants, and they feel that it’s a strain, which it is, on the economy, as far as the hospitals and the schools. So there is a lot of opposition.
What was the immediate aftermath of the debate in your community?
There were all kinds of bomb threats. They closed down Wittenberg [University], they closed another college, the hospitals were put on lockdown, there were bomb threats against the schools. I was in Walmart, and I was in the checkout line, and they said everybody had to immediately leave, and the whole Walmart cleared out because there was a bomb threat. I read in the paper yesterday Rob Rue, our mayor, got a gun. He and his family are learning how to shoot the gun because there’s been so many threats against his life. So it’s really had a horrible effect on the community, and especially the Haitian residents, because they’re afraid to send their kids to school, and the people who were anti-immigrant are getting more vocal about it. It’s really turned the whole community upside down.
How have you been affected by all the political attention?
Personally, I don’t think I have been. The Walmart was the only experience that we had. Well, they have a big Culture Fest in Springfield, and that was canceled, which is sad, because it’s to bring the different cultures in Springfield together. We probably were going to dance at that. There’s a lot more police around but it hasn’t really affected our life that much, except for the Walmart experience.
How would you feel about Trump holding a rally in Springfield?
No way. Our mayor is Republican, and I think he is handling it really, really well. And our mayor said he does not want Trump to rally here because there could be violence. I don’t think he wants either candidate here because of all the publicity we’ve gotten. I really admire them for coming down on Trump for what he said and what he’s done to the community. Also, there was some kind of celebration downtown, and the township got word that there were outside people coming to start trouble, and so they said, ‘Don’t react.’ There were people who came with guns. They marched around, and people did not react. And then they left. What’s scary is outside groups coming in and starting trouble.
It would also be a lot of money, right?
Well, right. You know, Springfield is hurting. There’s a lot of poverty here, and so that might have been one of his issues, money for security and all.
What do Trump’s references to Springfield say about him as a candidate?
That he’s a liar. You know, I don’t like him. I can’t stand him. And the fact that Vance knew it was a lie, and he admitted it was a lie, and they still spread those rumors. They have no regard for what it’s doing to Springfield, and especially to the Haitian people in Springfield, who are not causing any problems, except for that one incident where the driver didn’t have a valid license and hit the school bus and a little boy died. And that was awful, but I have not heard of any other crimes by Haitian people. They’re trying to fit in the community, and Trump’s disrupting all that.
Is there anything else you would like my school community to know?
We’re happy in Springfield. It’s generally a peaceful city. And what Trump has done, closing schools, closing Wittenberg, it’s cost the economy a bundle of money just by spreading lies.
