Fact check: Are Haitian immigrants in Springfield in the US illegally?
Al Jazeera
JD Vance says immigrants with temporary protections in Springfield, Ohio, are ‘illegal’. Experts say he is wrong.
CBS News moderators muted vice presidential candidates’ microphones only once during the October 1 vice presidential debate: during a discussion about immigration. Specifically, when they were on the topic of immigration in Springfield, Ohio – the small Midwestern city thrown into the national spotlight after former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, spread baseless claims about immigrants there eating pets.
The point in question: Are Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, in the United States illegally?
During the debate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticised Vance for spreading misinformation about Springfield’s Haitian immigrants. Moderators gave Vance a minute to respond.
“In Springfield, Ohio, and in communities all across this country, you’ve got schools that are overwhelmed, you’ve got hospitals that are overwhelmed, you have got housing that is totally unaffordable because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce homes,” Vance said.
Walz spoke again before moderator and CBS News’s Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan stepped in.
