Father of Ohio boy asks Trump not to bring up his son’s death in immigration debate

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — The father of an Ohio boy who died last year when a Haitian immigrant rammed a school bus is begging Donald Trump and other politicians to stop mentioning his son’s name in the immigration debate.

Nathan Clark spoke at a Springfield City Council hearing on Tuesday, the same day the former president and Vice President Kamala Harris debated. The Ohio city was thrust into the national spotlight when Trump repeated false claims that Haitian immigrants were eating pets there.

“This has to stop now,” Nathan Clark said. “They can spew all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even false claims about fluffy pets being trashed and eaten by community members. But they are not allowed to mention Aiden Clark of Springfield, Ohio, and they have never been allowed to. I will listen to them again and hear their apologies.”

Eleven-year-old Aiden Clark was killed last August when a minivan driven by Hermanio Joseph crashed into a school bus carrying Aiden and other students. Aiden died and nearly two dozen others were injured.

In May, a Clark County jury deliberated for just an hour before convicting Joseph of manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to between nine and 13 1/2 years in prison. A request to stay the sentence pending appeal was denied in July.

Trump’s campaign and others, including his running mate JD Vance, have mentioned Aiden’s death in online posts. On Monday, the Trump campaign posted: “REMEMBER: 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed on his way to school by a Haitian migrant that Kamala Harris allowed into the country in Springfield, Ohio.” On Tuesday, Vance posted: “You know what is confirmed? That a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here.”

Clark’s death was the subject of a flood of false rumors on Monday about Haitian immigrants eating pets. On Tuesday, Trump repeated those statements, which local authorities and police say are not supported by evidence.

Clark declined to comment further Thursday. A message seeking a response to Clark’s statement was left with Trump’s representatives.

Vance’s spokesman said in a statement that Harris owes an apology for her border policies, adding that Vance is praying for the Clark family.

Clark also mentioned Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno in his speech. Moreno’s campaign spokesman Reagan McCarthy said it was Harris and Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown who should apologize and criticized their handling of the border.

Four government buildings and two schools were evacuated in the city on Thursday after a bomb threat was emailed to several city agencies and media outlets, Police Chief Allison Elliott said. City officials said the buildings included Springfield City Hall, a local branch of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, a licensing office and a driver’s exam office. The city is working with the FBI to determine the source of the threat. Officials did not say whether the threats had anything to do with the discussions about immigration.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday condemned the conspiracies against Haitians as “hate speech.” She pointed to the local police department for any threats against the Springfield community, but described the situation as “an attempt to tear communities apart” and “an insult to all of us as Americans.”

Pastors from churches in Springfield met Thursday to discuss the impact of the false rumors.

Vile Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, attended the event and said it was necessary to bring peace to the community.

People need to understand each other, he said.

Many Haitians have come to the United States to escape poverty and violence, embracing President Joe Biden’s new and expanded legal entry options and avoiding illegal border crossings. Only 92 of more than 56,000 apprehensions at the border were made in July, according to the most recent data available.

The Biden administration recently announced that an estimated 300,000 Haitians could stay in the country and be eligible for work permits until at least February 2026 under a law called Temporary Protected Status. The goal is to protect people from deportation to countries experiencing unrest.

On Tuesday, Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, said he would send millions of dollars in law enforcement officers and health resources to the city of Springfield, which is facing a surge in temporary Haitian migrants. DeWine said about 15,000 Haitians have come to the city of about 59,000 since 2020 under the Temporary Protected Status program, and he called on the federal government to do more to help affected communities.

Ohio’s Republican Attorney General Dave Yost also drew attention to the crisis on Monday when he directed his office to explore legal options – including filing a lawsuit – to stop the federal government from sending “an unlimited number of migrants into Ohio communities.”

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Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey, and Smyth from Columbus, Ohio. Associated Press reporter Bruce Shipkowski from Troms River, New Jersey, attended the event.