Dayton congressman meets with Springfield immigration response team, says this is a federal issue

SPRINGFIELD — City leaders released more details during a press conference Tuesday about an Immigration Accountability Response Team in Clark County.

News Center 7 previously reported that the response was formed after some contentious city commission meetings.

The team is made up of city staff including those who work in public safety and community development.

The city manager said Springfield was already working on having a team like this when a deadly bus crash happened in August.

>> RELATED: ‘Not targeting;’ Immigration Accountability Response Team created after recent Springfield crashes

A van driven by a Haitian man without an Ohio’s driver license crossed over the center line and hit a Northwestern Local School bus.

The crash killed an 11-year-old boy and injured more than 20 of his classmates.

The city believes upwards of 7,000 Haitians have come to Springfield in the last few years.

City leaders said they believe this is for work and affordable housing.

>>RELATED: Family of boy killed in bus crash urge community to remove ‘hate’ from city council meetings

“The reason for the Immigration Accountability Response Team is to look at all the individuals of our community and make sure that no one’s being taken advantage of or exploited,” Bryan Heck, Springfield City Manager said.

City leaders also said the influx of immigrants puts a strain on city resources.

The team will have several responsibilities including providing cultural competency training and collecting data on immigrant trends.

Dayton congressman Mike Turner attended Tuesday’s press conference.

“Several of these individuals are brought through federal programs, what resources are in those federal programs are available for their housing, their safety, being able to sustain them, and also their transition to employment and work in the community,” Turner said.

Heck said he will provide updates about the team’s work going forward.

We will continue following this story and update as new details are available.

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