Former US President Donald Trump has promised "large deportations" from Springfield, Ohio, after false claims spread by his Republican running mate, JD Vance, alleging that Haitian immigrants are consuming pets.
“We will carry out large deportations from Springfield, Ohio—massive deportations. We're going to remove these individuals and send them back to Venezuela,” declared Trump on Friday(local time), reported ANI.
Springfield has become a political hotbed due to a viral conspiracy theory, that was rapidly debunked by local authorities. During the US Presidential Debate 2024 between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Trump argued that Haitian immigrants had stolen and eaten residents' cats and dogs.
As tensions escalate in Springfield, where approximately 20,000 Haitians have settled in recent years, authorities have closed schools for a second day due to unspecified threats.
According to a report by CNN, the website of the city of Springfield estimates that there are between 12,000 and 15,000 immigrants in Clark County, but it doesn't specify which countries they are from.
Republican nominee Donald Trump further claimed that immigrants in Springfield were "destroying their way of life," and vowed the ‘largest deportation’ in the history of US.
Illegal immigration has been a major issue in the United States over which the Democrats and Republicans spar regularly with contrasting stands, reported AFP.
The former US President came down heavily on the issue of immigration, as he and his rival Kamala Harris went ahead with their presidential campaigns in key swing states.
Donald Trump made his large claims of ‘deportation’ from Ohio, while his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris hit the stump at Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is a crucial district among several others that are left to close on the polls on November 5, 2024, where an attempt at assassination was made at Donald Trump on July 13, 2024.
At the Pennsylvania rally, Kamala Harris bashed out at her opponent Trump for his performance at the debate, and reiterated her economic plans on tax cuts and credits for new parents, homeowners and businesses.
