Moreno argued that Haitians in Springfield were not in the U.S. legally, referring to fake asylum claims and what he said were improper extensions of the Temporary Protected Status program.
“What’s happened is that Sherrod Brown and Kamala Harris have waved the magic wand, corrupted our immigration system and shielded them through Temporary Protected Status and asylum — two loopholes in our immigration system that were corrupted by corrupt politicians,” Moreno said.
Moreno agreed with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who in recent days called for large deportations starting in Springfield in 2025.
Moreno’s opponent in the November election, incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, said his office would work with local, state and federal officials on Springfield’s struggles, but that harsh rhetoric from Moreno and others was not helping.
“Springfield faces real challenges, but the people playing politics are not helping — we need to lower the temperature and work together for the people of Ohio,” Brown said.
Moreno mentioned his own background as a legal immigrant, saying his family came from Colombia when he was 4. He also called Springfield “a great community with great people,” but also said “what’s going on in this community is a total disgrace.”
Moreno talked about some of the same Springfield challenges that local leaders have mentioned — rising rents and other housing concerns, schools unprepared for an influx of non-English speakers, and problems with untrained Haitian drivers causing crashes.
His focus Saturday was more on changing the larger immigration system, including the way Temporary Protected Status is applied, than offering smaller steps to address those problems.
In addition to his comments about deportations, he said those who want to immigrate to the U.S. should have to learn English, agree to assimilate into American culture, have to be “additive to our economy and not lower wages,” and not take any government benefits.
Moreno supported the deportation of Haitians who are in Springfield legally under current U.S. law, but said a minute later that Republicans are “the party of law and order,” in calling for those making bomb threats in Springfield to be punished to the full extent of the law.
Moreno’s campaign was asked Sunday about the juxtaposition of those comments, but had not responded a few hours later at the newspaper’s deadline.
“When we take office in 2025, it’s going to be very simple,” Moreno said Saturday. “There’s one path to America, the legal path. If you came here illegally, if you have a fake asylum claim, we’re going to return you to your home country and we’re not going to continue to extend Temporary Protected Status indefinitely.”
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