Midwest
Vivek Ramaswamy hosts town hall in Springfield, Ohio, as residents share concerns about city's migrant influx
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy hosted a town hall Thursday in Springfield, Ohio, a city that’s been thrust into the 2024 race, calling for an open conversation on the migrant debate dividing the country.
“We’ve been told, mostly by the media, to shut up, sit down, do as you’re told, to sweep it under the rug, or else you’re guilty of some sin,” Ramaswamy began the town hall Thursday evening. “And I just think that the truth in this country is we don’t have to agree on everything. We really don’t. We never have in America. But the beauty of this country is we should be able to talk about it in the open, and that’s what we’re going to do tonight.”
“Our ground rules for tonight is honesty and respect for your fellow citizens,” Ramaswamy told the crowd.
HAITIAN INFLUX CAUSING ONE MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AMONG SPRINGFIELD RESIDENTS
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy hosted a town hall in Springfield, Ohio, as the city has been engulfed in 2024 politics. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
Ramaswamy, a Donald Trump supporter and Ohio native who grew up in nearby Columbus and frequently made visits to Springfield as a child, met with city officials as well as Haitian community leaders prior to the town hall. It was held at a small banquet venue with roughly 200 Springfield residents in the room, with an additional 100 in an overflow room.
He stressed after meeting with the Haitian group that he didn’t blame them for wanting to come to the U.S., but he faults the “federal policies” of the Biden-Harris administration.
HAITIAN REFUGEES ‘DON’T UNDERSTAND THE LAWS,’ FORMER LAWMAKER SAYS AMID FATAL WRECK, CULTURAL CLASHES
Many Springfield residents shared their concerns about the toll the city has taken since the influx of Haitian migrants.
Chrissy, a resident of Springfield for 66 years, took aim at city officials for not organizing such an event with the public to address their issues.
“How will you know about a city if you’re not bringing the people together, right, and talking to them?” Chrissy complained to Ramaswamy.
Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with residents of Springfield, Ohio, during a town hall on Sept. 19, 2024. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
Ramaswamy responded by saying what he thought “may not be very popular in this room” about the city officials, noting that they had been invited to attend the town hall but did not show up.
“I actually think they do care, at least the subset I met with,” Ramaswamy said. “But I will tell you what I do see happening in the country. I think there’s a culture of fear, actually. I think the reason they’re not here tonight is not because they don’t care about this, it’s because they’re scared.”
“These are just good, patriotic Americans who love their country and city who are struggling, because the people who they elected to run their federal government all the way down have let them down. And you don’t have to be scared of actually being face to face with your fellow citizens,” he added.
SPRINGFIELD PASTORS SPEAK OUT ON HAITIAN REFUGEE CHALLENGES: ‘THE SUFFERING IS REAL’
Brock, a half-Black Springfield resident of over 20 years, sounded the alarm on the “hateful language” that has “spiked” since their town received such national attention.
“I can probably count on my hand, both hands, how many a racial slur has been said my whole life. I’ve been called the n-word twice this week,” Brock said before sharing how friends of his with darker skin have been chased out of stores and accused of being Haitian.
While reiterating his belief that the United States isn’t a “racist country,” Ramaswamy responded by acknowledging the “weird uptick in racial tension in this country” that didn’t exist in his upbringing, tying the surge in bigotry to the DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] ideology he says “creates more racial animus.”
Springfield, Ohio has been at the epicenter of 2024 politics in recent weeks. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
A woman claimed to Ramasawamy her daughter had been stalked at a Walmart by “immigrants,” and she said in a separate incident she was chased by a migrant carrying a “machete” while she was going to work. But after her daughter called the police to file a report about the latter incident, the police “never checked on the crime.”
“So that’s how you know there’s no crime in Springfield, because no one is reporting it,” the mother added.
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Others accused both city officials and the country broadly of prioritizing providing care for migrants versus the homeless and veterans.
While much of the town hall was somber, the crowd broke out with massive cheers after Ramaswamy was asked whether he was going to run for governor of Ohio.
“I’m a little more inclined than I was ten seconds ago,” Ramaswamy quipped.
Springfield has been hit with a tidal wave of national media coverage as the city’s struggles with the migrant crisis have become a wedge issue in the 2024 race.
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Thumb Coast Electric has been named a 2026 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch Award recipient, according to a community announcement recognizing high‑growth, second‑stage businesses across the state.
The Port Huron‑based electrical contractor was honored April 22 during the 22nd annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business Gala, where company representatives were recognized onstage alongside other awardees before an audience of more than 800 business owners and supporters.
The award is presented by Michigan Celebrates Small Business, which annually recognizes companies that demonstrate strong growth potential, sustainable competitive advantages and a commitment to their communities. Thumb Coast Electric is listed among the 2026 honorees in the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch category.
Recognizing second‑stage growth
The Michigan 50 Companies to Watch Award honors second‑stage companies — defined as businesses with six to 99 full‑time‑equivalent employees and annual revenue or working capital between $750,000 and $50 million — that are privately held and headquartered in Michigan.
“These companies represent the future of Michigan’s economy,” said Brian Calley, president and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan, which partners in the awards program. He said the designation recognizes businesses that combine consistent growth with strong workplace culture and community impact.
Judges from economic and entrepreneurship development organizations across the state select winners based on employee or sales growth, sustainable competitive advantage and other indicators of long‑term success. Award finalists also undergo a due‑diligence review before final selections are made.
Community and company culture
Thumb Coast Electric representative Erica Chisholm said the recognition reflects both employee dedication and community support.
“Receiving the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch award is a huge honor because it reflects the hard work our team puts in every day and the support we’ve had from our community,” Chisholm said, according to the announcement. She said the company has focused on sustainable growth, investing in its workforce and maintaining quality standards as it expands.
Michigan Celebrates Small Business launched the 50 Companies to Watch program in 2004 and has honored more than 1,200 businesses statewide over the past two decades.
This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
Can you park in your own driveway with a pickup truck? HOA answers
Can you park in your own driveway with a pickup truck? HOA answers
A bipartisan bill limiting homeowners’ association fees, implementing new transparency and conflict-of-interest rules and establishing a path to dissolve some HOAs passed the Minnesota Senate Wednesday. The bill (SF1750) now heads to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk for final approval.
Homeowners in Minnesota have faced massive charges from their HOAs for questionable construction projects, like new roofs and siding. A 2025 Reformer investigation found that some HOA management companies hired their own subsidiaries to complete expensive construction projects. In at least one case, a homeowner wound up in foreclosure due to hefty assessments.
The bill passed by the Senate — and previously, by the House — would cap HOA fines at $100, with exceptions for repeat violations, health and safety risks, property damage or illegal rentals. It would require board members and property managers to disclose their financial relationships and recuse themselves from decisions from which they could financially benefit.
If signed into law by Walz, it would also require HOAs to make budgets available prior to meetings and to provide copies of contracts to residents upon request.
Multiple homeowners interviewed by the Reformer said that their questions for their HOA were referred to the board’s attorney — and then the resident was charged legal fees for the lawyers’ time.
The bill would bar HOAs from charging residents legal fees for questioning fines or charges unless a formal hearing is held and the fine or assessment is upheld.
The legislation is the product of years of collaboration and negotiations among homeowners, HOA board members, lawmakers and property management companies. In 2024, the Legislature created a working group tasked with proposing reforms to the state’s laws governing HOAs and similar organizations. Lawmakers on the task force held several listening sessions to hear homeowners’ horror stories (and support for HOAs via some dedicated board members).
The recommendations from that group became the foundation of the bill passed Wednesday.
“The reforms in this bill will rein in abusive HOAs by empowering residents with more information, more rights and more protections,” said Sen. Eric Lucero, R-St. Michael, the top Republican on the Senate housing committee and a member of the HOA working group. “This bill is a true bipartisan compromise — in addition to adding consumer protections, nearly every concern raised in good faith was addressed.”
Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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