Fact-checking JD Vance's claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio
Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump's 2024 running mate, continues to fuel the firestorm surrounding Springfield, Ohio, with false claims about Haitian migrants.
Vance first spread unsubstantiated rumors of Haitian migrants eating pets on Sept. 9, despite one of his staffers being informed that same day by a city official that such comments were "baseless."
Since then, he's continued to attack the Haitian population there as "illegal" despite their legal protected status and accused them of spreading infectious diseases in the community.
Ohio officials, including Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, have pushed back on some of Vance's remarks as they deal with the fallout of threats and other security issues. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue on Thursday added temporary emergency powers to ensure the safety of residents amid risks from the spotlight on the area.
Here's a closer look at what Trump's running mate has claimed.
Overall, communicable diseases have decreased
According to health records for Clark County, which encompasses Springfield but has a total population of about 138,000, total reportable infectious disease cases declined between 2022 and 2023.
Clark County Health Commissioner Chris Cook told ABC News in an email that preliminary numbers of reportable infectious diseases as a whole for 2024 "are tracking similar to last year."
But on social media, Vance has claimed there has been a "massive rise" in communicable diseases. At times, he's specifically singled out increases in HIV and tuberculosis.
The county records show that vaccine-preventable diseases, infectious disease cases (without COVID) and sexually transmitted infections in 2023 were all lower than what they were during the Trump administration.
Tuberculosis cases, which Vance specifically cited, rose by one between 2022 and 2023 in all of Clark County. In 2022, the county reported three cases of tuberculosis compared with four cases reported last year. Preliminary data for the first half of 2024 showed four cases of tuberculosis.
Similarly for HIV, newly diagnosed cases rose by one from 12 in 2021 to 13 in 2022. Numbers are not yet finalized for 2023 or 2024, but according to preliminary data the county is reporting 29 cases in 2023 and 26 cases from January to June this year.
"Inside these overall numbers of reportable infectious diseases you will find that some diseases are trending up and some diseases that are trending down in Clark County as you would in any population," Cook said.
Officials, though, have noted some discrepancies in vaccinations between Haitian migrants and U.S. residents (Haiti doesn't have access to the same vaccinations as the U.S.) and they've acknowledged a strain on health resources due to the influx of 12,000 to 15,000 migrants into the town.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced earlier this month $2.5 million for Springfield to help expand primary care access. DeWine, in the press release, said the influx of migrants has "significantly impacted local primary care providers due to the increased number of patients and the need for more translation services."
Haitian migrants are not 'illegal aliens'
At a campaign stop in North Carolina, Vance repeatedly portrayed the Haitian migrants not only in Springfield but the thousands across the nation as being brought into the U.S. illegally by Vice President Kamala Harris. He said they will be deported under a Trump-Vance administration.
Discussing the pathways under which many Haitian migrants have been brought to the U.S or allowed to stay temporarily -- a humanitarian parole program known as CHNV and Temporary Protected Status -- Vance claimed Harris "used two programs to wave a wand and to say, we're not going to deport those people here."
"Well, if Kamala Harris waves the wand illegally and says, these people are now here legally, I'm still going to call them an illegal alien," Vance said.
TPS is a program that began in 1990 and was extended to Haitian migrants in 2010 under then-President Barack Obama after a devastating earthquake. The protections were extended by Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration, although he subsequently tried to end protections, prompting court challenges. Biden most recently extended TPS this past June through Feb. 3, 2026.
Once a migrant is granted TPS, they are insulated from deportation and are allowed to temporarily work in the U.S. However, it does not directly lead to a green card or to permanent legal status in the U.S., according to immigration attorney David Leopold.
"What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work. Ohio is on the move, and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in. These Haitians came in to work for these companies," DeWine said on ABC's "This Week."
As for Vance's pledge to deport the migrants, such a move would face potentially insurmountable legal challenges. Trump has long pledged to deport immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission, a policy that would inevitably encounter its own set of challenges but is different from trying to deport protected migrants.
Vance has repeatedly sidestepped questions on how he would deport legal migrants and the negative impact it could have on local economies.
Leopold said that in theory, a Trump-Vance administration could again try to change TPS for Haitian migrants that would cause them to lose protective status and thus possibly be deported but it would be far from an easy policy to enact. Trump failed to change TPS status in his first administration because they couldn't prove the political and social instability in Haiti had changed enough to warrant such a move.
"In most cases, they failed to do it because they have to make findings that the situation in the country at issue has has changed or has improved," said Leopold. "That law is protected, and it requires the Homeland Security department to make specific factual findings."
Officials concerned about traffic incidents but not violent crime
Vance also posted on social media to claim "crime" has increased in Springfield. He did not elaborate in the post on what specific crimes he was referring to.
But at his event in North Carolina this week, he spoke specifically about driving and traffic concerns.
"In the town of Springfield, Ohio, which I'm honored to represent, we've heard from a number of residents that there are certain parts of town where they won't even drive because the illegal immigrants who have come in have made it unsafe to be on the roads," Vance said.
Officials have expressed concern about traffic enforcement. Springfield's mayor told ABC News last week the "big concern" in the community is an increase of traffic accidents and incidents.
DeWine has directed the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) to support local police with traffic enforcement. Last week, OSHP began patrolling roads with highest crash rates. Additionally, the state is providing driving simulators and offering driver education classes for the Haitian community.
One example being cited by Vance and other Republicans is the death of Aiden Clark, an 11-year-old who was killed in a bus crash caused by a Haitian immigrant found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide. Vance has said Clark was "murdered." The parents of Clark have spoken out against their son's death being used for "political gain" and said their son "was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti."
ABC News has reached out to the Springfield Police Department for comment.
No city official has publicly expressed concern, amid the controversy, about violent crime sharply increasing because of the influx of migrants.
In fact, the city said in a FAQ page about immigration on its website: "Haitians are more likely to be the victims of crime than they are to be the perpetrators in our community. Clark County jail data shows there are 199 inmates in our county jail this week. Two of them are Haitian. That's 1% (as of Sept. 8)."
Officials have said about 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians have moved legally to Springfield in recent years, increasing the population by about 25%.
According to crime data from Ohio Incident-Based Reporting System, instances of violent crime reported by Springfield increased only 1.0% between 2022 and 2023.
In the first six months of this year, 429 violent crime incidents were reported in Springfield, 13% higher than the same period in 2023 and mostly driven by an increase in aggravated assault. Murders and rapes were down in the first half of 2024 compared to the same point in 2023.
ABC News' Armando Garcia, Jeremy Edwards and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
