On Friday morning, students at Perrin Woods Elementary and Snowhill Elementary in Springfield were abruptly evacuated.
The decision came after the Ohio town faced a series of troubling threats linked to ongoing controversy over Haitian migrants.
Evacuation and Safety Measures
According to the Springfield City School District, students were moved to an alternative location for safety reasons.
They were later reunited with their parents, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch.
The specific details of the threats remain unclear, but Springfield Mayor Rob Rue indicated that the tensions surrounding Haitian migrants contributed to the situation.
More Schools Affected
The evacuation of Perrin Woods and Snowhill follows a pattern of similar incidents in the area.
Fulton Elementary School was also evacuated yesterday, and Roosevelt Middle School was closed before the day even started.
These actions stemmed from the same concerns that led to the evacuation of the other schools.
Broader Impact and Threats
The situation escalated further with a bomb threat sent to multiple city facilities, including City Hall, on Thursday morning.
The threat, obtained by USA Today, claimed a bomb would detonate within hours and was tied to the controversial rumors about Haitian migrants.
The email included inflammatory language and unfounded claims about migrants eating pets.
Immigration Debate in Springfield
The debate over immigration in Springfield has intensified since a significant influx of Haitian migrants arrived in 2020 to fill local job vacancies.
The number of immigrants in the town has grown to around 20,000, increasing Springfield’s population, which was 58,000 in 2020.
These immigrants, who are legally in the U.S. with work permits and social security numbers, have integrated into the community by taking on jobs that locals were not eager to fill.
Rumors and Misinformation
The rumors about Haitian migrants eating cats gained traction after being circulated on Facebook by Erika Lee.
Lee admitted that the rumor originated from a neighbor and eventually reached Donald Trump’s campaign.
These unfounded claims have contributed to the rising tensions in Springfield and the broader immigration debate.
What comes next for Springfield remains uncertain as the community grapples with these issues and the impact of misinformation.