Woman Says Springfield Police Didn’t Respond After Migrant Chased Daughter With Machete

During a town hall on Thursday in Springfield, Ohio, hosted by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a woman claimed that law enforcement did not respond after her daughter was chased by a migrant with a machete. 

The allegation was made during a discussion with Ramaswamy at the Bushnell Event Center where he took questions from residents and expressed support for immigration policies backed by former President Donald Trump. Around 2,000 people showed up to attend, but only around 250 were able to enter the actual venue, according to local media. 

One woman said that her daughter had been routinely stalked and harassed by migrants at places like Walmart. One day, she claimed that her daughter had been chased by a man with a machete on her way to work and never heard back after calling the police. 

“She told them what had happened and wanted to file a report,” the woman said. “Two hours later the police still hadn’t called her back and never checked on the crime. That’s how you know there’s no crime in Springfield because no one is reporting it.”

At tonight’s town hall in Springfield, a woman told me her daughter was chased by a machete-wielding immigrant.

Here’s a hard truth: if you’re willing to break the law to come to this country, you’re probably willing to keep breaking it once you’re here. pic.twitter.com/wOm4BK13aE

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) September 20, 2024

Another woman, Diana Daniel, told Ramaswamy that she was tired of being called a racist by city leaders. 

“We are at the stage right now where we’ve been put down and called racist, not only in print but also to our face at city commission meetings,” the 68-year-old woman said. “Now we’re at a level of desperation.”

“I’m not in office right now so I want to think about as a businessman or somebody who’s lived the American Dream, how can I help?” Ramaswamy said, explaining why he was in Springfield. Many residents who spoke to Ramaswamy to discuss their experience were wearing shirts and hats in support of Trump. 

Ramaswamy said that he blamed federal policies for the problems associated with the migrants. He said that he had invited local leaders to come to his town hall, but that none of them decided to attend the meeting. 

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When speaking of his policy preferences on immigration, Ramaswamy said that immigration should only be allowed with the consent of the American people, only immigrants who benefit the country should be let in, and those who enter illegally should be deported. 

“I haven’t met an American who actually disagrees with those three principles,” he said. “So if we all agree on it, the country that put a man on the moon can get this job done. It’s just a question of actually having the will to do it.”

Trump announced earlier this week that he would visit Springfield in the next two weeks, saying the city was under “siege” thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies.