SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held a briefing from Springfield Monday as threats to the community continue to escalate following false accusations that the city's Haitian immigrants are eating their neighbor’s cats and dogs.
DeWine says at least 33 bomb threats have been received since the accusations started last week. The governor added that law enforcement responded to each threat and all have been determined to be a hoax. Two Springfield elementary schools were evacuated and a middle school were closed on Friday.
During Monday's news conference, DeWine announced that the Ohio State Highway Patrol will deploy 36 members of its Mobile Field Force to provide additional security at all 18 buildings of the Springfield City School District.
Starting Tuesday and "continuing for the foreseeable future," the state says troopers "will sweep each building for threats before students and faculty arrive and will stay on-site to provide security throughout the school day and during dismissal."
"Many of these threats are coming in from overseas, made by those who want to fuel the current discord surrounding Springfield. We cannot let the bad guys win," said DeWine. "We must take every threat seriously, but children deserve to be in school, and parents deserve to know that their kids are safe. The added security will help ease some of the fears caused by these hoaxes."
DeWine would not say which country "from overseas" was responsible for the threats.
In addition to deploying the OSHP Mobile Field Force, DeWine also directed Ohio Homeland Security to provide tower cameras for use by Springfield police for "situational awareness." The Ohio Department of Public Safety will also arrange for bomb detection dogs to be stationed in Springfield each day.
The now viral and highly politicized rumors are being fueled by former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and others, and violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city.
Local and state officials have said the claims are untrue, wrongly cast the city in a negative light and have brought unwanted and frightening negative attention since Trump mentioned it in the presidential debate last week, when he called out Springfield by name.
DeWine said Sunday that “there’s a lot of garbage on the internet and, you know, this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true. There’s no evidence of this at all.”
During Monday's briefing, the governor again denounced the false rumors, but would not criticize Trump, Vance, or any other Republican for spreading them. He did encourage discussion about immigration, speaking out against the Biden administration for a "porous southern border."
"It's been a mess. And frankly, the Biden administration has not done a very good job in regard to the border. So when Donald Trump brings it up, or when JD Vance brings it up, or a candidate for U.S. Senate brings it up, it is a legitimate issue. I have a job though in regard to people who are here legally in Springfield and a community that people are making comments about them. I have an obligation to speak out," he said.
Previous Reporting:
- JD Vance doesn't back away from false claims about migrants in Ohio even amid threats to the community
- Donald Trump and JD Vance are still stoking fears of Haitian migrants as Ohio community faces bomb threats
- Amid two days of Springfield bomb threats, Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted posts a joke
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he trusts city officials when they say no pets are being eaten in Springfield