In the wake of President Trump’s re-election, the Haitian immigrant population of Springfield, Ohio — a focal point of his campaign that highlighted strict reform measures — are fleeing the midwestern town over fears they will be the target of mass deportation.

Leaders of Springfield’s Haitian community tell the Guardian that in recent days, many of the migrants in the city expressed their fears that they will be rounded up as part of a mass deportation effort once Trump takes office in January.

“People are fully aware of the election result, and that is why they are leaving; they are afraid of a mass deportation,” Haitian Community Alliance co-founder Jacob Payne said to the newspaper. “Several of my customers have left. One guy with his family went to New Jersey. Others have gone to Boston. I know three families that have gone to Canada.”

Trump has been clear with his intentions for America’s migrant crisis since the presidential campaign, saying that he would end the temporary protected status provision and deport those currently in the country as a result of TPS — including much of the town’s Haitian population.

Thousands out of the 200,000 Haitian migrants in America settled at Springfield due to a low cost of living and available jobs.

Margery Koveleski, who has long helped the migrant population navigate through the bureaucratic process of obtaining legal immigrant status, told the Guardian that those still at Springfield are scrambling to figure out how to leave the region.

“Some folks don’t have credit cards or access to the internet, and they want to buy a bus ticket or a plane ticket, so we help them book a flight. People are Leaving,” she said.

“The owner of one store is wondering if he should move back to New York or to Chicago – he says his business is way down.”

The city of Springfield, located between the cities of Dayton and Columbus, made the news during the recent election cycle after false reports that Haitian Immigrants were stealing and eating the neighborhood pets circulated on social media.

The claims were amplified by Vice President-elect Vance, who wrote on X that his office had received “many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who’ve said their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants.”

Trump had even mentioned it during his debate with Vice President Harris in September.

“They’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country and it’s a shame,” he said.

Some in the region may face threats before Trump returns to the White House.

In September, the sheriff for Sidney, which sits 40 miles north of Springfield and has dozens of Haitian immigrants residing there, allegedly ordered local deputies to “get a hold of these people and arrest them,” according to a report from the Sidney Daily News. “Bring them — I’ll figure out if they’re legal.”

On Monday, Trump seemingly confirmed on social media that he intends to use the U.S. Military to enact mass deportations.

“True!!!” President Trump wrote on Truth Social in response to a post from Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton, who said that military assets would be used for the initiative.