Biden-Harris caused Ohio town's immigration crisis: Moreno

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno has criticized the Biden administration, arguing that the problems facing city residents can be traced back to Washington, D.C. policies.

Moreno, who is seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, spoke at an event in a city that has recently become the center of the national immigration debate, where residents say the federal government's decision to resettle up to 20,000 Haitian immigrants in the city of 60,000 is causing widespread problems.

“What's happening in this community is an absolute disgrace,” Moreno said. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, with the help of their number one ally in the United States Senate, Sherrod Brown, have completely corrupted our immigration laws and allowed uncontrollable floods of immigrants into communities like Springfield.”

J.D. Vance, another senator from the Buckeye State who is running for vice president, has also spoken out on the issue since former President Donald Trump raised it during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this week.

“Right now we are seeing reports of pets being kidnapped and eaten by people who should not be in this country,” Vance said in a post this week on X. “Where are the border agents?”

Ex-Congressman Says Haitian Refugees 'Don't Understand the Law' Amid Deadly Accidents and Culture Clash

“They're eating dogs, they're eating people who come in, they're eating cats,” Trump said while answering a question about immigration. “They're eating people's pets that live there. This is what's happening in our country, and it's unfortunate.”

While Trump and Vance's allegations are unproven, there's little debate that the city of Springfield is struggling to accommodate an influx of Haitian immigrants, which former Ohio congressman Kyle Kahler said is causing some problems for the community.

“I was a little shocked to see an influx of almost 20,000 people into a community of 60,000 people. There are issues between the people who live here and the people who are coming in,” Koehler, a Republican now running for state senate, told Fox News Digital.

Koehler said many of the issues stem from cultural differences that are difficult to overcome with the influx of newcomers to Springfield, but the Republican also cited other issues facing the community, including a sharp increase in traffic accidents.

A sign welcoming drivers to the city of Springfield, Ohio. (Michael Lee/Fox News Digital)

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“We're seeing a really crazy amount of car accidents,” Koehler said, “not just in terms of the number, but the severity. If you're on a road with a 35 mph speed limit and you have a car sitting on its hood, that's five or six accidents a week. It makes you wonder.”

Moreno also addressed other issues facing the community at Saturday's event, pointing to schools struggling to accommodate a surge in new students who don't speak English.

“No country on Earth would allow what is happening here to happen,” Moreno said.

The Senate candidate has vowed to help improve the immigration system if elected, promising to work to end the Temporary Protected Status program that has been a major driver of migration to Springfield by allowing it to expire in 2026 and implementing a new system with stricter requirements.

“Our leaders have failed to address this problem,” Moreno said in response to Brown's comments accusing Republicans of exploiting the situation in Springfield for political gain. “But where is Sherrod Brown? … Where is he helping the citizens of Springfield solve this problem?”

Rose Groot Creole Restaurant in Springfield, Ohio is a popular Haitian restaurant that opened in August 2023.

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Moreno also argued that it wasn't immigrants or local leaders who were to blame for how bad things have become in Springfield, but Democrats in Washington.

“They didn't create this problem. This is an unfair problem,” Moreno said. “This problem was forced upon them by corrupt federal elected leaders who don't care about the residents of Springfield.”