In a statement to this news outlet, the office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, criticized the Biden administration for lacking the foresight to predict the logistical problems that could arise from their immigration policies and a lack of follow through to help communities like Springfield overcome them.
“Senator Brown believes that the administration should have had a plan in place to support communities like Springfield who experience a population increase from Haitian immigrants,” said the statement from Kevin Donohoe, communications director for Brown’s office. “The administration’s lack of planning is one of the reasons there are serious concerns from community members about the strain on public infrastructure.”
Donohoe said Brown’s office has helped connect the community with federal agencies that might prove helpful, and that Brown will continue to push for the Biden administration “to do much more to address the challenges Springfield is facing.”
Bernie Moreno, the Republican hoping to unseat Brown this November, made a campaign stop in Springfield Saturday where he argued that the legally-immigrated Haitians were only legal due to “illegal” Biden administration policies — though the courts have not backed Moreno’s claim. As far as solutions, Moreno focused on mass deportations.
Meanwhile Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he is in communication with the White House.
“I’ve talked to White House, I made it very clear the situation we are in. I told them we are looking for some federal help, I told them that we will continue to look at the different streams of federal dollars (available) to see if we can qualify, but we would like some help,” DeWine said in a Fox News interview Friday. “They have said, ‘We will try to help you.’ So, we’re in a conversation back and forth.”
Conversations of this kind have been ongoing for months. The Biden administration’s Department of Homeland Security has been in close communications with Springfield officials since the spring, according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
She told national reporters Friday that the administration had already made a pool of $1.3 billion available specifically to communities like Springfield — which has since run dry — and tried to make another $1.4 billion available for local assistance in the bipartisan border deal that failed after former President Donald Trump pressured congressional Republicans, including Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, away from negotiations.
“The administration has indeed provided more than $1.3 billion to jurisdictions around the country to help with the influx and what they’re dealing with,” said Jean-Pierre. “We want to do more, but we’ve been blocked.”
Jean-Pierre urged Republicans on Capitol Hill to come back to the table, but offered little in the way of immediate solutions to national reporters who asked about additional help for Springfield.
Like Moreno, a spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, who represents Springfield, challenged the legality of the immigration policies that have resulted in Springfield’s significant Haitian population. In terms of solutions, Turner has met and is working with Springfield leaders to “identify ways to help the community, whether it be securing financial resources or passing legislation.”
Amy Cox, November’s Democratic candidate against Turner, told this news outlet that she would look to secure funds through the U.S. Department of Education to hire more teachers in Springfield City Schools, which Springfield Mayor Rob Rue has said is taking on 40 new students a week due to the Haitian influx.
Cox also called for the federal government to provide funds for “needed English Language Learner staff and to build additional facilities for the influx of students, and these spaces could be used for Driver’s Education and adult lifetime learning classes after school.” She said plans to expand services and bring new facilities to Springfield “should have an eye toward temporary capacity and permanent upgrades for the community.”
Meanwhile as Trump has made Springfield a centerpiece of his campaign regarding immigration reforms — vowing to start mass deportations in Springfield if elected president — his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris has said little about the issue and her campaign did not return a request for comment for this story.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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