Despite acknowledging their legal status, Vance insists on using the controversial term for migrants under Temporary Protected Status.

Republican vice-presidential hopeful JD Vance has made it clear that he will continue to refer to Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, as “illegal aliens” despite knowing they are legally in the United States. Speaking at a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina, Vance was questioned about the future of migrants under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which includes many of the Haitian community in Springfield.

Vance responded: “The media loves to claim that these Haitian migrants—hundreds of thousands of them, including 20,000 in Springfield—are here legally. What they fail to mention is that Kamala Harris used programs like mass parole and temporary protected status to grant them this status. She’s essentially waving a wand to say, ‘We won’t deport these people.’”

He added, “Even if Kamala Harris declares these people legal, I’ll still call them ‘illegal aliens.’ Her actions don’t change the law. That’s not how it works.”

Many Haitian migrants currently in the US are protected under the Biden administration’s TPS and Humanitarian parole program, which allows certain migrants from countries like Haiti to stay legally, provided they meet specific requirements. These programs are designed to offer temporary refuge while permanent immigration status is processed.

Springfield’s official website clarifies that Haitian immigrants are indeed in the US legally, as they have entered through the Immigration Parole Program and are eligible to apply for TPS, which is valid through February 2026.

However, Vance has recently faced backlash over unfounded claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield. He continued to spread rumours about migrants allegedly stealing and eating pets, even after Springfield officials confirmed the claims were baseless. On September 9, Springfield’s city manager, Bryan Heck, informed Vance’s staff that the accusations were unfounded, but Vance continued to promote the false narrative.

The Vance campaign later provided a police report to support the allegations. However, it was revealed that the report was based on a misunderstanding. The woman who filed the report had believed her lost cat might have been stolen by Haitian neighbours, but the cat later returned home unharmed, and the woman apologised for her mistake.

In an interview with CNN, Vance admitted to creating sensational stories to gain media attention. “If I have to create stories to get the media to focus on the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’ll do,” he said, adding that the immigration issues in Springfield were the result of Harris’s policies, not his own creation.

The controversy surrounding Vance’s statements highlights the ongoing debate about immigration policy and the rhetoric used by political figures to address these issues.