Residents of Springfield, Ohio, have reacted to the surge of Haitian migrants in a report from The Daily Wire.
“You walk into a store and you feel like your language isn’t the predominant language. It’s kind of weird,” said a longtime Springfield resident who asked to remain anonymous. “If you’re willing to go to a new place, you need to invest your efforts into learning that and becoming acclimated and accustomed to it as well.” He also expressed concerns beyond cultural differences.
“There’s no section of this town that I feel safe in,” he admitted. “I don’t even like my wife to shop here. We try to go grocery shopping in other cities.”
After a decade of peace in his neighborhood, things changed. “Just a couple weeks ago we had our first break-in,” he said, explaining that their family car had been targeted. With police resources stretched thin due to the growing population, he blamed the situation on the lack of available law enforcement.
“They say our police force is staffed. It’s not,” he said. “They’re tied up on traffic calls and trying to translate to people that don’t know English.”
As many Springfield residents consider leaving town, some hope those engaged in criminal behavior will eventually be the ones to go.
“I would like to see the election go in favor of Donald Trump this year, and I would like to see deportations.”
The rise in crime has also led stores to lock up basic goods, even toys, according to one local resident. “You see that stuff and it’s just like, what has my town become?” he lamented. “It was just a good place to raise your family. I kind of want out.”
This feeling is shared by many in the community. “Haitians are coming from a whole different country, a third-world country, and they’re just getting cash assistance,” one Springfield native said. “They’re getting food stamps, and it’s just ridiculous, because we’re not thinking about our citizens first, especially in our hometown.”
