(NewsNation) —In Tuesday’s debate, Republican Ohio senator JD Vance revisited comments he’s made about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, saying he is “concerned for the American citizens” in the city during the vice presidential debate Tuesday.
Previously, Vance had said he was amplifying comments from constituents, including some from people who later admitted they made false claims about Haitian immigrants in the city eating pets. In the debate, Vance focused not on pets but on housing. Vance said unaffordable housing in the community was a result of the heavy influx of immigrants in Springfield.
“In Springfield, and communities across this country, you have schools that are overwhelmed, housing that is totally unaffordable because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce homes,” Vance said while debating Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“The people I’m worried about in Springfield are the American citizens who have had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’ open border.”
In a departure from stated rules, CBS debate moderators attempted to fact-check Vance stating Haitian immigrants were in the city under a Temporary Protected Status program. In response, Vance and Walz began a back-and-forth over immigration laws, which, after trying to regain control, moderators cut short by turning off both debaters’ mics.
Last month, Vance made a series of posts and statements about the Haitian immigrant population in Springfield, Ohio.
He posted on X, without evidence, that Springfield has experienced “a massive rise in communicable diseases, rent prices, car insurance rates, and crime.”
Later he said his office “has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who’ve said their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants,” adding, “It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”