Springfield, the town transformed by Haitian migrants that became a symbol of Trump's harsh immigration policy

Springfield, the town transformed by Haitian migrants that became a symbol of Trump's harsh immigration policy - Author, Tom Bateman - Author Title, BBC News - Publication Date - Reading Time: 9 min *Warning: this story contains some disturbing details. In this tight campaign for the mid-term elections in the United States, the small town of Springfield, Ohio, has become a symbol of a modern country. But it is a symbol that changes drastically depending on who describes it. For President Donald Trump, Springfield represents the essence of the problems in the United States derived from years of uncontrolled immigration. In the past, he repeated the false claim that Haitian immigrants were eating the pets in the city. "In Springfield they are eating the dogs. The people who arrived are eating the cats. They are eating... they are eating the pets of the people who live there," he said in 2024 in the presidential debate against Kamala Harris. Today, he asserts, things are different and assures that through his mass deportation campaign, residents are "recovering their city". But for others, Springfield represents a well-known cycle in the history of modern United States: the decline of traditional industry, followed by a sudden increase in immigration driven by cheap housing and underpaid labor. It is a story that is repeated across the country. The story of Pierre Pierre Damas Bel, 20, arrived in Springfield in 2024 to reunite with his father and stepmother. He fled his homeland of Haiti, plagued by political instability and gang violence. He entered the United States with government permission, thanks to a program that had expired in the Biden era for migrants waiting in Mexico. According to a family friend, Bel then received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which grants people who have undergone a verification process the right to live and work in the United States. TPS usually lasts 18 months, but it is periodically renewed, often for years, if the danger in the country of origin persists. Bel aspired to forge a life on US soil, his friend recounted. He was an outstanding student, a talented athlete, and a cadet in a high school program that prepared students to become United States Armed Forces officers. But in June, the Supreme Court ratified the government's decision to end TPS for about 350,000 Haitians in the United States. Bel was instructed to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, where he was fitted with an ankle monitor used to track migrants facing possible deportation. He wrote on Instagram that he felt "shame and humiliation" for having to wear the ankle bracelet. On August 31st, he parked his car on the side of the highway near Springfield, entered traffic while cars were passing at high speed, and died. His family attributed his death to the discomfort he felt having to wear the electronic monitor on his ankle. His father told local media that some classmates mocked him for the bracelet. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to the BBC's questions about Bel's case. While ICE rejected responsibility for his death. "Staying in the country illegally, trying to avoid deportation, is a choice. Leaving with a free flight home and $2,600 is also a choice," a spokesperson told US media earlier this year when asked about the case. In the weeks leading up to his death, Bel attended a support center in Springfield for Haitians facing possible deportation. His co-founder, Viles Dorsainvil, told the BBC that Bel was in the process of filing a motion asking ICE to remove the ankle monitor. "He went to the ICE facilities twice. He begged them to remove the electronic monitor," he said. "He did everything right to be here until they put the device on him." In total, the Trump administration canceled Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than a million immigrants from 13 countries. These changes caused many to go from having legal status to becoming undocumented immigrants overnight. In 2024, Trump turned border security and the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants into central promises of his election campaign. Polls suggest that border policy still has strong support among Republicans, but the nature of his immigration control campaign has experienced a decline in support this year. Ohio is a key state Ohio has become a key state in the upcoming mid-term legislative elections on November 3rd, and one of the two Senate seats currently held by Republicans is at stake. Trump has already visited the state twice in an attempt to mobilize voters and counteract the decline in his approval ratings. In a rally held earlier this month in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump brought up the topic of Springfield again. "There is a little town, a beautiful little town in Ohio, where they left about 35,000 Haitians. Well, they are taking them away and they are almost gone, and we are giving them back their town," he said amid applause. The Trump administration announced for the first time in June 2025 that it would eliminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, and the subsequent legal battle reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in their favor in the summer. "The T in TPS means TEMPORARY, but many of these designations became de facto amnesty," said James Percival, legal advisor to the Department of Homeland Security, after the judicial ruling. "This represents a victory for the rule of law and common sense," he added. In a social media post in August, the Department of Homeland Security shared a video of Haitians chained, wearing white uniforms, being led to a deportation flight. The video, accompanied by cheerful music, told the Haitians whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) had expired: "LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!". The Trump administration says it is carrying out police operations in Springfield to ensure the safety of Americans. It also argues that Haiti is safe enough to return to. The country, however, is subject to a danger alert level 4, the highest from the US Department of State, which recommends "Do not travel". Fleeing violence in Haiti In Springfield, the vestiges of decades of economic decline are still visible with closed factories and boarded-up houses. This part of the American Midwest was severely affected by the deindustrialization of the last century, when those who lost their jobs in their factories sought work on the coasts or emigrated to the warmer southern states. In the last five years, an estimated Haitian population of around 20,000 people arrived in the city. Many fled the devastating earthquake of 2010. Others left Haiti in 2021 due to the violence and unrest that followed the murder of President Jovenel Moïse. This meant a rapid increase in Springfield's population. Thanks to their legal status under TPS, many Haitians found underpaid jobs in factories and distribution warehouses. Rick Johnson, who served in the Marine Corps, has a porch adorned with flags. The American flag flies near one of the Navy flags and another of the Marine Corps. His wife served in the Navy while he was in the Marine Corps in Camp Pendleton, California. After his military service, he lived in Springfield his whole life. He makes it clear that he strongly supports ICE's deportation campaign. "We love the United States, we love Americans, all kinds of Americans, but in a way you have to be American." Johnson moved to this neighborhood a decade ago, but commented that the disappearance of industry has left much of the area uninhabited. "They have demolished all the houses around me; I practically have no neighbors." "They don't bother me." "The only neighbors I have are Haitians who live here, and the truth is they don't bother me." They moved about four years ago, Johnson adds, "but there are many." He referred to "traffic problems". This opinion is shared by other residents of Springfield: the perception that traffic accidents increased after the arrival of the Haitian community. In 2023, Aiden Clark, an 11-year-old boy, died when the school bus he was on overturned after a collision with a van. The van driver, Herman Joseph, from Haiti, did not have a valid US driver's license and was incarcerated. Aiden's father, Nathan Clark, later spoke at a meeting of the Springfield Municipal Commission, where he denounced that his son's death was being used as a "political tool" to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment, and added that his son died accidentally. Johnson's concern lies in the numbers and the speed of change. "It's really the number," he tells the BBC. "If you come here, you must come legally. Temporary protection status no longer exists... it's time to leave." In a nearby grocery store, run by Paschur Castelly, who left Haiti 20 years ago, most of the shelves are empty, except for those selling religious candles and framed paintings of Catholic saints, popular among this devout community. "I can't buy new merchandise because there are no people," he said. "Our communities are made up of doctors, engineers... We came here to have a better life, to help our families in Haiti. Our country does not offer us security." After 20 minutes in the store, the first customer arrives. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had been working in a warehouse for three years. But, like others who have lost TPS, it is likely that this also means they have lost the right to work. While chatting with Castelly, he rolled up his right pant leg and revealed a large electronic monitor on his ankle. ICE has stated that these measures are part of its Alternatives to Detention program. "They gave me a choice: wear the electronic monitor on my ankle and report every two weeks, or sign the deportation order," he said. When leaving the store, Castelly closed the door, which he now keeps locked. When a neighbor saw them and feared they were an ICE raid, she shouted to ask if Castelly was okay. It was a demonstration of how much this city still remains a symbol of two versions of the United States years after Trump put it at the center of national attention, and weeks before voters go to the polls to decide the rest of his presidency. With additional information from Gringo Wotshela. This article was originally written in English and we used an artificial intelligence tool to translate it. A BBC journalist reviewed the text before its publication. 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