JD Vance Claims He’ll Keep Calling Springfield Haitians ‘Illegal Aliens’

JD Vance has indicated that he will continue to refer to Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, as “illegal” aliens, even though he is aware that many are legally present in the country.

At a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina, Vance responded to a question from Politico regarding the fate of migrants under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, specifically those in Springfield, during a potential second Trump administration. He was also pressed on how such an administration would manage the deportation of migrants who are legally residing in the U.S.

“The media loves to say that these Haitian migrants—hundreds of thousands of them, including 20,000 in Springfield—are here legally,” Vance stated. “What they mean is that Kamala Harris utilized two separate programs, mass parole and temporary protected status, to wave a wand and assert that we’re not going to deport these people.”

He continued, “If Kamala Harris illegally waves a wand and claims that these people are now legal, I will still label them as illegal aliens. Illegal actions by Kamala Harris do not change the legal status of these individuals. That’s not how this operates.”

Many Haitian migrants currently residing in the U.S. entered through the Biden administration’s TPS and humanitarian parole programs, which permit nationals from Haiti, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela to come to the U.S. legally if they meet certain criteria and have a sponsor. Those eligible can remain in the country while their permanent immigration status is resolved.

The Springfield city website clarifies, “YES, Haitian immigrants are here legally, under the Immigration Parole Program. Once in the U.S., immigrants can apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Haiti is designated for TPS by the Secretary of Homeland Security, with current TPS granted through February 3, 2026.”

Reports have also confirmed that an aide to Vance was informed by a Springfield official earlier this month that claims of Haitian migrants stealing and consuming domestic pets were unfounded. Despite this, Vance continued to disseminate these claims, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and ABC News. On September 9, city manager Bryan Heck communicated to a Vance staff member that the allegations were baseless.

Nonetheless, Vance did not retract a post he shared on social media that same morning, which suggested that “reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by individuals who shouldn’t be in this country.”

The following day, former President Trump repeated a similar claim during a presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Vance campaign later provided The Journal with a police report to substantiate their claims; however, the report was based on a misunderstanding. A woman named Anna Kilgore had reported her missing cat and suspected her Haitian neighbors might be involved. Subsequently, her cat returned a few days later, unharmed, and Kilgore subsequently apologized to her neighbors, attributing her initial belief to rumors circulated on social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok.

“I wish I could take it all back,” Kilgore said in an interview with ABC News.

During a recent appearance on CNN, Vance admitted to creating narratives to draw media attention to immigration issues. “If I have to create stories to make the American media focus on the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast,” he expressed.

He claimed that these rumors stem from “firsthand accounts from my constituents,” asserting that he was not fabricating the stories but rather stimulating media focus on a crucial issue. “I didn’t create the influx of 20,000 illegal migrants in Springfield as a result of Kamala Harris’s policies. Her policies are responsible for that,” he added.