A couple of years ago, Springfield, Ohio, drew national attention after then-presidential candidate Donald Trump repeated false accusations about the local Haitian community that had been promoted by right-wing Internet influencers. National reporters came to Springfield, investigated the claims and left.
But long before Springfield made national news, the Springfield News-Sun was covering the changes brought by the arrival of Haitians who were granted legal entry to the United States. After the national outlets left, the News-Sun kept reporting on how shifts in national immigration policy affect Springfield’s Haitian community and the town as a whole.
Join Jessica Orozco, staff writer for the News-Sun, and Josh Sweigert, editor for investigations for the News-Sun and its sister newsrooms, for a discussion of how the paper covers Springfield’s Haitian community and how national immigration policy changes have affected the town.