After more than 30 bomb threats against city officials and others, which caused the evacuation of schools and government buildings, Mayor Rob Rue, R, granted himself temporary emergency powers on Thursday, Sept. 19. Rue said the city charter gives him the authority to order local law enforcement to cases of civil unrest, cybercrimes and acts of violence more quickly without contractual or purchasing obligations.
Rue said in a statement on Thursday, “Ensuring the safety of Springfield’s residents is our top priority.”
Rue and the city said that the emergency powers will be lifted once the threat level for the city has dropped but based on ongoing assessments, it could be extended or discontinued.
The decision to enact the powers comes after false claims by former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance that Haitian migrants were eating local pets and wildlife.
Rue, Springfield city officials, and Gov. Mike DeWine, R, have all said there is no evidence of such acts ever taking place, and the Haitian Community Support Center in Springfield told NBC News that the conspiracy theories have made local Haitians “scared for their lives.”
Gov. DeWine sent 36 Ohio state troopers to Springfield earlier this week after an announcement on Monday, Sept. 17, to do sweeps of schools before and after students and staff arrived. DeWine said that most of the threats are from overseas and not legitimate, but he is taking action out of an abundance of caution.
Trump announced Wednesday, Sept. 18, that he planned to visit Springfield in the coming weeks, though he didn’t offer specifics surrounding the visit. Rue, a Republican, has repeatedly said that a visit from Trump would strain Springfield’s already thinly stretched resources, and previously said that he wouldn’t mind if the former president skipped the visit altogether.
Trump also vowed to visit Aurora, Colorado, on Wednesday, saying he would do so in the coming weeks as well. The GOP front-runner made claims that a Venezuelan gang had taken over an apartment complex in Aurora earlier this month, and other false stories about Venezuelans in the city. Local officials denied that any Venezuelan gang was living in the apartment complex.
