Today the small city of Springfield, Ohio found itself at the center of a

fraud election year issue, immigration. Republican vice presidential candidate

JD Vance claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield are quote

draining social services and causing chaos. He's also repeated a baseless

rumor already debunked by city officials about pets being abducted and eaten a story amplified by right-wing media and

Elon Musk online.

Over the last four years Springfield has seen its small population grow by over 20% driven almost entirely

by immigrants. William Bringham recently went to Springfield to understand how

the city is coping. The sounds of Haitian Creole, carrying across soccer fields,

in grocery stores, in restaurants, dishing up the popular Haitian street food

Patécote. It's striking hearing all this in the heartland of the United States,

Springfield, Ohio. Springfield's a small blue-collar city with a familiar story.

Much of the factory work left decades ago and the residents followed.

A community of more than 80,000 emptied out to less than 60. That is, until the

last few years. Our church is we've seen new people. In the pews? Yes, absolutely.

West Babian was the pastor at First Baptist Church for almost 20 years. For years we've lost people but you hope somebody else will come and take their place.

That hasn't happened here.

Until now.

Because there are folks from Haiti who are coming to church.

Lucans Meersus, who among his many other jobs,

man's the Sound Board for Sunday Services,

is one of those new Haitian members. Why Springfield?

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