So far, Heck said, nothing related to post-election issues has been identified specific to the Springfield community.
Springfield got a sense of the potential impact of unrest might be during two weeks in September when bomb threats closed government offices, schools and businesses while personal threats were made against local community leaders. The events resulted from the spread of unfounded rumors by former President Donald Trump and vice-presidential candidate JD Vance that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating pets locally.
“We always want to protect the safety of the public and our community,” Heck said. “We take any threats or potential threats very seriously. We’re constantly planning for the worst possible situation that can impact our community.”
Mayor Rob Rue said he had participated in a conference of mayors to discuss potential post-election problems and prepare for disruptions.
“This has everyone anxious,” Rue said of the possibility for a repeat of disruption in the community. “We are prepared.”
He also said he is hoping for a “decisive winner” that will reduce the possibility of protests that might result following the outcome.
The city’s Haitian community felt particularly threatened during the September discord, and leaders said they could face additional threats because of the rhetoric around calls for mass deportations if Trump is elected.
Asked about the city’s possible response to such action, Heck said, “It’s hard to plan for something that we don’t know if or will happen.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has criticized such deportation plans, saying it would undermine positive economic improvement in the city.
“The reality that some of the economic progress that we have made, that Springfield has made, would go away,” DeWine said at a press conference last week. “These Haitians came here to work. They were hired because they would work.”
While states including Washington and Oregon have put their National Guard on alert due to potential civil unrest following the election, no such steps have been taken in Ohio.
Haitian immigrants in Springfield have temporary legal protection status that extends through 2026 as the result of violence and instability in their country. They work legally at Clark County businesses.
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