Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said “Kamala Harris’ open border” has “destroyed” the lives of American citizens in Springfield, Ohio, before having his mic cut by debate moderators.
In Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate on CBS, Vance claimed undocumented immigrants are pushing up home prices and overwhelming local schools across the country, at the expense of American citizens.
“In Springfield, Ohio, and in communities all across this country, you’ve got schools that are overwhelmed, you’ve got hospitals that are overwhelmed, you’ve got housing that is totally unaffordable, because we’ve brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce homes,” the Ohio senator said.
Springfield has been the center of a national debate on immigration since former President Donald Trump claimed in his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris last month that Haitian immigrants were eating their neighbors’ cats and dogs. Local officials said they had “no credible reports” of that actually happening.
Vance, who initially raised the claim days before Trump amplified it, did not repeat it during the vice presidential debate.
But standing across from Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, Vance said undocumented immigrants are inflicting a major toll on Americans.
“The people that I’m most worried about are the American citizens that have had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’ open border. It is a disgrace,” Vance said.
The influx of migrants in Springfield has strained some local resources in the city. But most of the Haitian migrants there are there legally, and local officials have strongly disputed Trump and Vance’s portrayal of the city.
Local Republicans like Mayor Rob Rue and Gov. Mike DeWine have pushed back on Trump and Vance’s claims, saying that the Haitian migrants are looking for jobs, that they’re there legally, and that they have become a part of the community.
Trump has dismissed Rue and other local officials.
“The mayor of the town, I don’t know him, but he seems like a nice man, but he … doesn’t want to say anything bad. He wants to be politically correct,” Trump said at a news conference in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
At Tuesday’s debate, things grew heated around Springfield after CBS News moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan interjected to note the Haitian immigrants in Springfield have legal status before trying to move on.
Vance objected, speaking over the moderators and preventing them from asking their next question.
“The rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact-check. And since you’re fact-checking me,” Vance said, “I think it’s important to say what’s going on.”
Vance made an argument for why the Haitian migrants should not be considered legal, because their protected status was decided by the federal government after they arrived in the U.S. At recent rallies, Vance has said his interpretation of the law means they technically immigrated to the U.S. illegally.
Walz jumped into to add his own fact-check. But both were then cut off, when their microphones were muted.
The moderators had warned at the beginning of the debate that they reserved the right to cut the mics at anytime to uphold the debate rules.