By Andrew J. Tobias
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine is sending extra state law enforcement officers to Springfield to help the city deal with a surge in traffic problems he says are the result of an exploding migrant population as national Republicans are trying to capitalize on the situation for political gain.
DeWine also said he’s sending an extra $2.5 million to health officials in Springfield to pay for more primary care by doctors after he said the city’s rapid population growth has strained the existing medical system.
DeWine announced the modest measures on Tuesday during an impromptu news conference. He told reporters he wanted in part to try to counter misinformation that’s flooded social media about Springfield in the past several days, including posts falsely tying a picture of a man in Columbus holding a dead goose and news coverage of a woman in Canton eating a cat to the Haitian migrants who have settled in Springfield.
But DeWine took pains to not directly address a major source: Cincinnati Republican U.S. Sen. JD Vance, the GOP vice presidential candidate who shared with his nearly 2 million followers on X that he’d heard “rumors” that migrants were killing pets only to acknowledge the next day that the rumors may be false.
Asked about Vance and other misinformation, DeWine pointed to Springfield officials, who issued a statement Monday saying there were “no credible reports or specific claims” of pets being harmed by immigrants.
“I think the governor of the state has an obligation to go before the people of the state and to outline what we are seeing every day and to explain what we’re seeing,” DeWine said.
Springfield, a city of roughly 58,000 people, has been dealing for several years with a rapid influx of Haitian immigrants, which city officials estimate number as many as 15,000 people. The development drew national attention once Vance discussed it after becoming former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
Other Republicans have issued statements about Springfield this week as well as the party tries to link a viral moment to their anti-immigration political message.
DeWine said Tuesday that the state for months has been engaged with Springfield officials, who he said have described increased waits at doctors’ offices, a rise in traffic crashes from inexperienced Haitian drivers and educational challenges like teaching English to K-12 students.
But he also said Springfield officials believe they’ve contributed to the community. He described population growth in Springfield as reaching a plateau. He also said he has not engaged with Haitian community members in Springfield during his talks with people in the city.
”If you talk to the officials, they think they’re doing a good job. They’re going to work. Some of them may not speak English,” DeWine said.
DeWine said the federal government should do more, specifically describing a lack of a larger settlement plan or extra money or resources for Springfield. DeWine, who has performed expensive charity work in Haiti over his life, also said he understands why people are fleeing Haiti and doesn’t oppose the government program through which they came to Ohio.
DeWine said there are concerns that due to Haiti’s lack of doctors and medical care, that immigrants from the country may not be current on vaccinations. But Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the director of the Ohio Department of Health , said there is no “measurable or discernable increase in vaccine preventable illness” in Springfield or the surrounding area.
“But we want to be acting in a prudent manner to not leave that to chance,” Vanderhoff said.
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