Bomb threats reported in Springfield, Ohio, amid false claims targeting migrants

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Local and federal law enforcement responded Thursday to a bomb threat made against multiple facilities Springfield, Ohio, which has been thrust into the nation's heated immigration conversation by baseless claims about Haitian migrants amplified this week by Donald Trump during his debate with Kamala Harris .

Officials said they learned of the bomb threat at about 8:24 a.m. local time Thursday via an email message that was sent to multiple agencies and media outlets.

The threat prompted "an immediate response from local and regional law enforcement," and the evacuation of City Hall as a precautionary measure, the city's commission said in a statement .

City Hall, a driver's exam station, an Ohio BMV facility, the Springfield Academy of Excellence and Fulton Elementary School were evacuated and cleared by explosive-detecting K9s, Allison Elliott, chief of Springfield police, told reporters during a brief press conference .

Additional facilities were also evacuated and searched as a precaution, she said.

The City Commission added that due to the threat, City Hall would remain closed on Thursday, but would reopen Friday.

"Authorities are currently conducting a thorough investigation," the city said, while asking members of the public to avoid the area surrounding City Hall and report any suspicious activity they see.

"Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our employees and residents," the city commission said. "We are working to address this situation as swiftly as possible."

Elliott told reporters that they are trying to determine the source of the threat and are working with the Dayton, Ohio, office of the FBI.

The threat comes days after Trump, the 45th president of the United States and the GOP nominee for president, repeated baseless and dehumanizing claims made online that Haitian immigrants in the city were eating residents' pets.

He made the comments during his Tuesday debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, the democratic nominee. His running mate, JD Vance, also made the statement.

The city of some 58,000 people has pushed back against the claims, with City Manager Bryan Heck explaining in a recorded statement published Wednesday that "it is disappointing that some of the narratives surrounding our city has been skewed by misinformation circulating on social media and further amplified by political rhetoric in the current highly charged presidential election cycle."

He said the city is experiencing challenges due to the rapid growth of its immigrant population, those challenges "are primarily due to the pace of the growth rather than the rumors."

Springfield Mayor Robe Rue told reporters in a press conference Wednesday that the baseless claims of Haitian migrants eating pets developed from the arrest of a Canton, Ohio, woman last month. According to local The Repository , 27-year-old Allexis T. Ferrell is accused of brutally killing and eating a cat.

"Additionally, there have been no verified incidences of immigrants engaging in illegal activities, as squatting or littering in front of residences homes," he said.

The mayor said there are an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian immigrants in the Springfield area. Officials say the influx is due to the burgeoning number of job opportunities.

City officials say the increasing population is causing challenges, stressing the local healthcare, education and housing systems.

In the wake of the bomb threat, Haitian Bridge, a nonprofit that advocates for fair and human immigration policies, lambasted the former president and the Ohio senator for their "baseless claims."

"We are disgusted that bad actors are attempting to gain political points at the expense of defaming an already targeted community. Haitian migrants have been the backbone of so much of what makes this country great," it said in a statement .

"Our team has been working round the clock to protect our Haitian brothers and sisters in Springfield during this difficult time, and we call on leaders to stop using harmful rhetoric that fuels division and hatred."