Five days in Ohio: False immigrant rumors threaten to unravel an American town on the upswing

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — It was meant to be an event to help heal the community.

Instead, Haitian residents and advocates were confronted by a small group of frustrated Springfield residents and at least one right-wing provocateur Saturday evening outside the local Haitian Community Help & Support Center.

Shouting nearly escalated into a skirmish when a group not affiliated with the Haitian community showed up outside the event, which was canceled hours before and held online out of security concerns. They questioned why so many immigrants had moved into Springfield “illegally,” a claim that city officials have repeatedly said is not true.

Haitian residents and people who had gathered to support them de-escalated the confrontation shortly before police arrived.

“It’s just so frustrating,” Colin Barclay, who is white and has lived in Springfield since 2015, said, moments after arriving at the church to help defuse the situation. “You can tell people the truth, ‘This is what’s going on,’ and unless it fits their narrative, they’re just, you know, they’re not going to listen to it.”

Springfield is a town on edge. It’s been five days since it was thrust into the national spotlight by baseless — and to many, racist — rumors of Haitian residents killing and eating wildlife and pets, and its economic comeback has been dramatically overshadowed by tensions that once rarely reached beyond city council meetings. The city has been forced to close schools, City Hall and other municipal buildings because of bomb threats and safety fears tied to the rumors, and Haitian immigrants are afraid to leave their homes because of anger directed at them.

On Saturday, nearby Wittenberg University canceled all on-campus activities for the following