CNN —
Former President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that if he is re-elected in November, he will revoke Temporary Protected Status and deport a Haitian immigrant from Springfield, Ohio.
“We have to deport people and bring them back to their countries. In my opinion, those are not legal,” President Trump said in an interview with NewsNation.
When asked if he would revoke immigrants’ temporary protected status, President Trump said:
“Absolutely. I would cancel it and take them back to their country.”
The former president and his supporters continue to spread misinformation about Haitian immigrants in Springfield.
Many Haitians entered the country under the Biden-Harris administration’s parole program, which allows entry to participants who have been vetted with a U.S. sponsor. And, as CNN previously reported, many have “temporary protected status,” which protects them from deportation and allows them to live and work in the country for a limited period of time.
Some received that protection after the Biden-Harris administration expanded the number of eligible Haitians in June. Some have been living in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status since before the Biden-Harris administration.
Asked in an interview Wednesday what would happen if Haiti refused, Trump said, “They will,” without providing additional details.
“Well, they’re going to take it, they’re going to take it. If I bring them back, they’re going to take it,” President Trump said.
During the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security was aggressive in ending numerous Temporary Protected Status designations that had been on the books for decades in some cases.
President Trump has stoked fears about immigrants in recent weeks, including during a presidential debate last month, as part of his push for tougher immigration policy proposals that include mass deportations, including during last month’s presidential debate where Haitian immigrants were seen eating pets in Springfield. Spreading debunked conspiracy theories.
Springfield Mayor Rob Lue said that between the Sept. 10 debate and Sept. 20, Springfield received more than 35 threats of violence, including bomb threats. The threat prompted the evacuation of elementary schools and supermarkets, the closure of hospitals, and the transition to remote learning at some local universities.
Mike DeWine, the Republican governor of Lou, Ohio, and other local officials denounced the rumors as false and destructive to the community. CNN reports that staffers for President Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, who helped spread the misinformation, were told by Springfield Mayor Brian Heck early last month that the rumors were true. He was told that “there was no verifiable evidence or report” showing that.
The city of Springfield says on its website that Clark County, which has a population of about 136,000, is home to about 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants, and Haitian immigrants also live there legally. are.
Haitian workers play an important role in Springfield’s economy and fill much-needed jobs, the city said. DeWine has acknowledged that the city has had some problems adjusting to the influx of mostly Haitian immigrants, but said in an interview last month that he is working to address the issues and that the city has He said immigrants are having a “positive impact” on local communities.
CNN’s Jack Forrest, Daniel Dale, Danya Gaynor, Katherine E. Shoichet, Elizabeth Wolff, Melissa Alonso, Jeff Winter and Chelsea Bailey contributed to this report.
