“Longtime residents who I used to see were no longer there. They moved out, and Haitian migrants moved in. They didn’t speak English. I started to see a lot of foot traffic on the streets. And you could see a dozen or more people coming and going from the houses. It was clear there were a lot of people living in the houses,” Zimmers told The Epoch Times.

Skinner, who serves with Zimmers on the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals, observed a similar transition in her neighborhood.

“We used to know everyone, and mostly everyone got along, but then we started seeing more turnover on our street. We no longer knew many of our neighbors,” Skinner said.

“It used to be a quiet and peaceful place to live. Now, we have several houses where several Haitian families are living in a home intended for one family. And sometimes we get harassed by people who are yelling at us in a foreign language. We have to be more cautious. This is not the Springfield I once knew,” Skinner said.

A blue-collar city that saw many of its factories shut down decades ago, Springfield’s population declined to less than 60,000—until the last few years. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian migrants have arrived here over that span.

Residents have voiced concern and frustration over safety issues and a strain on resources. City leaders have acknowledged that changes must be made to effectively accommodate its residents and the migrants.

The conversation was mostly confined to Springfield and Clark County until the presidential debate earlier this week. At an Aug. 27 city council meeting, some residents alleged that Haitians were killing cats, dogs, ducks, and geese for food.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), former President Donald Trump’s running mate, said that his office had been inundated with those claims.

Vance wrote on X that “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”

Early in the Sept. 10 presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump said, “In Springfield, 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.”

City officials and police said they had not received reports of Haitians eating animals.

Springfield Strategic Engagement Manager Karen Graves told The Epoch Times earlier this week, “There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”
In a statement on Sept. 10, a Springfield police spokesperson said the same thing.

On Sept. 11, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost wrote in a post on X, “There’s a recorded police call from a witness who saw immigrants capturing geese for food in Springfield.”

He also noted that citizens testified to city council about incidents of Haitian migrants killing geese.

“These people would be competent witnesses in court. Why does the media find a carefully worded City Hall press release better evidence?” Yost wrote.

Over the last week, tension has risen in Springfield.

On Sept. 12, Springfield City Hall and an elementary school were evacuated after multiple city facilities received bomb threats, according to police. Clark County officials reported that every county building was closed that day out of “an abundance of caution.”

The next day, two elementary schools were evacuated and a middle school was closed in Springfield “based on information received from the Springfield Police Division,” according to school officials.

Outside of Ohio, many Americans had never heard of Springfield until Trump’s comments. Now, residents told The Epoch Times, it is drawing national attention for the wrong reasons.

“The animal reports are good for media clickbait, but the real story here—what has created a crisis—is how the residents are being negatively impacted,” Zimmers said.

“This wasn’t put to a vote. We didn’t ask for this, and our city leaders did not put proper infrastructure in place to prepare for the migrants and to address the challenges it would cause for the residents who are U.S. citizens,” Skinner said.

The Department of Homeland Security earlier this year announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians until Feb. 3, 2026, protecting them from deportation back to Haiti. This includes migrants who entered the U.S. illegally and those who overstayed their visas.

In 2023, the U.S. State Department urged U.S. citizens to leave Haiti amid widespread violence and unrest after the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moise, in 2021.

The country is currently listed by the U.S. Embassy as “Level 4–Do Not Travel” because of crime, kidnappings, poor health care infrastructure, and unrest.

According to the city of Springfield “Immigrants with TPS are legally qualified to receive financial assistance, health and nutrition services, employment and education services, and housing services. Since immigrants granted TPS must apply for an Employment Authorization Document that can take up to several months to receive, they may need assistance until they can legally seek employment.”

Springfield had a small Haitian population before 2021, when illegal border entries began to break records. A shortage of entry-level and blue-collar workers made the city an ideal destination, especially because of its low cost of living compared to major metro areas.

Topre, a Japanese auto parts manufacturer, expanded in 2022, drawing Haitian migrants.

While companies needing to fill vacant positions welcomed the surge of Haitian migrants, challenges escalated in the city.

Kyle Koehler, a former state representative in the district that represents Springfield, is a candidate for state Senate in the region that covers three counties, including Clark, where Springfield is located.

The cultural differences between residents and migrants have resulted in tension, he said.

“They don’t understand the laws; they don’t understand some of our customs. We don’t understand some of their customs, and that clash and the overwhelming amount of people that have come at one point has really caused some issues,” Koehler said.

In a recent campaign speech, Koehler said that the Haitian migrants in Springfield receive between $600 and $1,600 a month on debit cards through the Refugee Cash Assistance program. They can also access public assistance programs available to U.S. citizens.

“As of this month, our local Job and Family Services has registered over 20,000 Haitian refugees in our county and city. Springfield, which had a steady population of 58,000 … now has an additional 20,000 new residents in and around Springfield—20,000 people in just under four years,” Koehler said.

He said that Springfield’s public school system now has more than 1,600 non-English speaking students.

“Our Federally Qualified Health Care (FQHC) called Rocking Horse is overwhelmed with the increase in Haitians that are automatically qualified for Medicaid services. City, county, and state leaders are overwhelmed with complaints that they can do very little about fixing,” he said.

Before arriving in Springfield, Haitian migrants had little or no health care services.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced earlier this week that he is dedicating $2.5 million toward expanding primary care access for Springfield residents. He has directed the Ohio Department of Health to work with the Clark County Health Department and other health care providers.

“We will continue to do everything we can to help the community deal with this surge of migrants,“ DeWine said at a Sept. 11 press conference. ”The federal government has not demonstrated that they have any kind of plan to deal with the issue. We will not walk away.”

Part of DeWine’s plan includes the creation of a school-based health clinic in the Springfield City School District, increasing support for vaccinations and health screenings through the local health department.

Also, allocating additional funds to the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services for translation services, providing funding to Clark State College for services to teach English to Haitians, as well as providing driving simulators, and offering driver education classes targeted to the Haitian community, and working with the Springfield School District.

DeWine implored the federal government to provide more resources.

“These dramatic migrant surges impact every citizen in the community—the moms who have to wait hours in a waiting room with a sick child, everyone who drives on our streets, and the children who go to school in more crowded classrooms,” the governor said.

“The federal government does not have a plan to give any support to the communities impacted by surges, and we have absolutely no indication that a plan is coming in the near future.”

Yost recently said he is ordering an investigation into ways to halt what he describes as “extreme population growth” attributed to migrants moving to Springfield.

“How many people can they be expected to take? What are the limits to the federal government’s power? Could the federal government simply funnel into Ohio all the millions of migrants flooding in under the current administration’s watch?” Yost asked.

“The problem is not migrants; it is way, way too many migrants in a short period of time,” he said.

“The problem is a massive increase in the population without any communication or assistance from the federal government.”

The immigration debate among residents, local officials, and migrants reached a breaking point last summer when 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed in a traffic accident that involved a Haitian migrant.

The boy was aboard a school bus that collided with a minivan that crossed over the dividing line driven by 36-year-old Hermanio Joseph.

Joseph was sentenced to nine to 13-and-a-half years in prison for first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter and fourth-degree felony vehicular homicide.

Nathan Clark, Aiden’s father, chastised conservative politicians for using the child’s death for political gain.

“My son, Aiden Clark, was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti,” Clark said at a recent city council meeting.

“They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members,” he said. “However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark of Springfield, Ohio.”

Last December, a day after her 71st birthday, Springfield grandmother Kathy Heaton was killed when a car driven by a Haitian migrant struck her while she was gathering her garbage cans.

Prosecutors decided that the driver of the car, 38-year-old Robenson Louis, wouldn’t be charged.

At a city council meeting earlier this week, Mandy Heaton, Kathy’s daughter-in-law, said the decision left their family “devastated.”

Louis was operating a car with expired license plates.

On Sept. 11, DeWine dispatched the Ohio State Highway Patrol to help local law enforcement with traffic issues in Springfield.

Residents have complained for months that Haitian migrants are getting temporary driving permits but not getting licenses.

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous because of her position in the public eye, told The Epoch Times that there are “several accidents every day,” and she has seen cars “drive into buildings and onto sidewalks, go the wrong way down one-way streets, make U-turns right in the middle of the road, and run over street signs and into yards.”

“They get behind the wheel with little or no education and training about driving laws here, and many of them don’t understand English, so they can’t read the street signs,” Zimmers said.

Malc Joseph arrived in Springfield last year with his 11-year-old son, Marcley. They fled from Haiti and lived in Philadelphia before moving to Ohio because of the lower cost of living.

“We were welcomed when we got here, and it was good because there was a big adjustment coming from a big city. After the accident, it started to change. I’m afraid for my safety. People are saying we are eating cats and dogs. That’s not part of our culture. We don’t do that,” he said.

Lindsay Aime is the treasurer for the Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield. He told The Epoch Times that he acknowledges that there are cultural differences and encourages residents to be patient as the Haitian population adapts to American customs.

“Learning the language and the culture takes time. I don’t think Americans understand how difficult it is. We don’t have an established Haitian community here like in bigger cities. We need more time to integrate ourselves here. Just give us time,” Aime said.

“We are good workers, hard workers. We are paying taxes. We are customers for businesses. We want to have a positive presence here, and we’re here to stay. We can’t go back to Haiti.”

B.J. Newman is a pastor who works in Springfield. He told The Epoch Times he sympathizes with the Haitian migrants but also believes that residents should be shown more understanding.

“I’m extraordinarily compassionate to the plight of the immigrants. We just need to make sure that compassion goes in both directions. If you drive through Springfield, it doesn’t look like there’s anything out of the ordinary. This isn’t like the BLM riots, where there is violence and destruction on the streets. But there is a crisis. This happens when such a high number of refugees come here in a short time,” he said.

“Anytime you have a population jump of 20,000 in a short time, problems are bound to happen. The fact that they’re from a very different culture, I think, is what’s creating the real friction.”

Kelly Combs is a Registered Nurse who worked for a health care network on a team that provides perinatal outreach to at-risk families, including Haitians in Springfield.

She told The Epoch Times she empathizes with migrants and residents alike.

“They came here for a better life, but now many of them are afraid to leave their homes,” Combs said about the Haitian migrants. “Residents feel like it is an invasion because the refugees don’t know proper etiquette, and there is a drastic cultural difference that is creating tension.”

Combs works as a nursing instructor at Clark State Community College, which is located in downtown Springfield. She lives with her husband in a village five miles outside the city limits, so she is insulated from the migrant crisis there, but she worries about driving downtown.

“There is an intersection I pass through every day I’m at work, and there are accidents there seemingly every day,” Combs said. “You have to be attentive when you’re driving here. You can’t afford to get distracted.”

Housing is also a critical issue in Springfield.

Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck addressed the housing shortage in a July letter to U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Vance was copied on the correspondence. Heck wrote that the housing issue has presented a “crisis” for the city dating back to 2018, and the issue has worsened since the surge of Haitian migrants.

The number of affordable housing vouchers has declined as some landlords have moved to market-based rents, which increased amid higher demand.

Multiple residents told The Epoch Times that landlords have kept increasing the rents for local residents to the point they can no longer afford to pay, choosing instead to attract Haitian migrants.

Fred Stegner is president and founder of the Springfield Soup Kitchen, which serves a free hot meal to anyone who walks through the door on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

He told The Epoch Times that landlords raising their rents to a level where residents can no longer afford to pay has contributed to the homeless problem in Springfield.

“It makes me angry. I’m a veteran, and I’ve had many veterans come in here telling me they are getting evicted because they can’t pay their rent. This shouldn’t be happening to U.S. citizens. I know the migrants are escaping a difficult life, but there should be a compound set up for them to live. And landlords shouldn’t be allowed to drive out the residents because they know they can make a lot of money off the Haitians,” he said.

Stegner mentioned that homeless shelters in the community have closed, and he is concerned about the safety of the homeless population, with winter just a few months away.

Hansen says nearly 400 emails flooded his inbox to tell stories about how lifelong residents of the Midwestern town are having to flee due to all the violence, dwindling resources and dangerous new drivers swerving all over the roadways causing accidents.

The corporate media claims that everything is fine in Springfield, just like they claimed about the apartment complex in Aurora, Colo., that was invaded by illegal migrant gangs from Venezuela. In Springfield’s case, the migrants, which now number 20,000 or more, are from the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti.

“My name is ***** and i have lived in Springfield my entire life,” one of the letters Hansen received reads. “The beginning of this year we made the decision to move away from my hometown due to the rising violence with them. They have effected [sic] my home life and now my work.”

“Recently we have had a very few violent Haitians in my place of work. Ranging from calling us (whites) racist slurs to threatening employees with hammers and even threatening to come back and kill everyone on site.”

The letter goes on to claim that Haitian men are fighting women in the streets and blocking traffic. The person who wrote the letter says busloads full of migrants are wreaking havoc in neighborhoods all around Springfield, putting locals at risk.

(Related: Did you know that every single “new job” created by the Biden regime last year went to an illegal alien?)

Violent crime in Springfield jumped 242% between 2019 and 2022

It turns out that these anecdotes are backed by data from the FBI’s crime data explorer showing that between the years of 2019 and 2022, violent crime in Springfield is up 242 percent.

The situation is so problematic that some are advising locals to start capturing episodes of migrant crime in photos and videos as evidence for the world to see. Then the media will have a much tougher time denying what locals claim is happening to their town.

“What a crying shame for these people that have lived there their whole lives,” wrote someone on X. “Their homes are going to be worth nothing. Something you worked for your whole life. It’s so sad really.”

Another says her Democrat mother denied that anything is happening in Springfield because the media is telling people that this is all made up as an election ruse to scare more people into voting Republican.

Just like the Republicans say Democrats are doing with their scare tactics, the right is being accused of manufacturing the Haitian migrant crisis in Springfield for political points.

“The media is running cover on all of these stories saying they’re untrue,” one said. “They cannot let this get out while Kamala is running because the truth would hurt her already small numbers.”

Another wrote that a similar migrant invasion is occurring in Alabama and that locals there are “working on” dealing with it before it gets too out of control.

“It’s unreal,” this person said.

Others asked where Gov. Mike DeWine is in all this as he has not yet said anything about the problems plaguing Springfield. Will Gov. DeWine step up and say something before the election or will he keep quiet out of fear?

“@SenSherrodBrown supports Kamala’s open border policies,” tweeted “TallTeeth” (@WildBillPecos) about how Sen. Brown of Ohio is partially to blame for the migrant crisis.

“Call his office 202-224-2315 and tell him you have had enough.”

Illegal immigration is destroying America. Learn more at InvasionUSA.news.

Sources for this article include:

• X.com
• NaturalNews.com

The city of Springfield, Ohio, has struggled to handle an influx of at least 20,000 Haitian migrants, who have contributed to an increase in traffic accidents and skyrocketing housing prices, with many residents blaming President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for the situation. Former Trump administration official Tricia McLaughlin explained why residents felt their town was being “overrun.”

“I mean, I haven‘t seen any evidence that there’s any dead cats or dogs at the hands of anyone, any human, much less these migrants who are, like you said, here, legally,” McLaughlin said. “Some of these citizens have testified in front of the city council saying that there’s … it’s really chaos at that there has been cars burning, cars flipped that they feel unsafe in their community, keep in mind this is just failed federal policy.”

“This is a community of about 60,000 people. I’m from Ohio, about 30 or 40 minutes from Springfield. This is a community that had a poverty rate of about 20%, very working community,” McLaughlin continued. “And so federal policy led, while these are illegal migrants, this is 20,000 people coming into a community of 60,000 people being completely overrun. It doesn’t matter if they’re migrants from Haiti or California. The schools are being overrun. The social services are being overrun. That is poor federal planning.”

CNN host Abby Phillip claimed that using words like “overrun” was “part of the problem,” while also citing Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio about controversy over the initial reports of a pet cat being killed and used for food, calling it “a turn of phrase that is designed to make people feel like there is some kind of invasion.”

“That’s what the citizens are saying, that’s what the citizens on the ground are saying,” McLaughlin responded. “That’s not my words, that’s theirs. So let’s also listen to these people’s concerns. I don’t think it’s fair to pick apart rhetoric when these people are having real problems.”

“These people have been primed to use language like that,” Natasha Alford, senior correspondent for TheGrio, claimed. “They’ve been listening to this, hear me out, they’ve been listening to a president which has been fearmongering, scapegoating these individuals, these communities, playing on racist tropes, think about s-hole countries that were talked about. Those were countries with predominantly black and brown people, and one of them was Haiti.”

Alford later claimed that former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric “dehumanizes” Haitian migrants.

These are the facts: 20k migrants were dropped into a town of 60k people in less than 3 years. Springfield’s medical systems, schools, social services & housing infrastructure are not setup for such a drastic population increase. Yes, the infrastructure is being *overrun.* To say… pic.twitter.com/m0RL1uGEVO

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) September 14, 2024

The initial claims about pets vanishing amplified other reports about the effects of the influx of as many as 20,000 Haitian migrants to Springfield. Residents of the town have also complained that the migrants do not follow traffic laws, a concern that was echoed by a reporter from the New York Post who witnessed a traffic accident caused by a migrant driver.

“To say that stating the facts is offensive/problematic is simply dismissing the testimony & suffering of the citizens of Springfield, OH and the welfare of those migrants,” McLaughlin posted on X Saturday afternoon.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

Reports coming from the small city indicate massive challenges with the tens of thousands of “refugees” that have been crammed into it. Pets are being stolen, eaten, and possibly sacrificed as part of pagan rituals. Crime is skyrocketing. Traffic accidents are through the roof. Meanwhile, the FBI is focusing on “hate crimes” that are allegedly being threatened by “right-wing extremists.”

Their message to the community is focused on so-called “hate crimes” stemming from bomb threats that have been attributed without evidence to Donald Trump supporters. They even translated it into Haitian creole so the “victims” don’t miss out. As independent journalist Nick Sortor noted:

The FBI is putting up BILLBOARDS written in HAITIAN CREOLE here in Springfield, Ohio encouraging people to “report hate crimes”

THIS IS INSANE.

Instead of handling the REAL, VIOLENT crime that’s now running rampant in Springfield thanks to Kamala’s illegals, the FBI is focusing on “victimizing” the Haitian population in order to push a narrative.

WHY?!

NEW: The FBI is putting up BILLBOARDS written in HAITIAN CREOLE here in Springfield, Ohio encouraging people to “report hate crimes”

THIS IS INSANE.

Instead of handling the REAL, VIOLENT crime that’s now running rampant in Springfield thanks to Kamala’s illegals, the FBI is… pic.twitter.com/R5gLft5Hcv

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 14, 2024

As I noted on 𝕏 in response to a video showing cats being grilled, something is very fishy about the attention being paid to Springfield by corporate media. Standard operating procedure is to ignore the story, but they are actively and aggressively trying to debunk it over and over again. That’s concerning.

Corporate media has gone beyond ignoring the Springfield Haitian story. They've actively and aggressively pretended to debunk it.

And every time their debunking gets debunked, they try again from a different angle. There's clearly more to this story than we even know because…

— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) September 14, 2024

Yes, folks, we live in a Cowardly New World where wokeness and anti-Americanism are pervasive, especially within the very institutions that are supposed to be protecting Americans.

On Saturday, chaos erupted in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, when gunfire broke out, resulting in one fatality and numerous injuries. According to police reports, the shooting occurred during a large gathering, with the motive and suspects still under investigation. Authorities are working tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to justice, but this incident adds to the growing list of violent crimes plaguing American cities.

Under the Biden administration, many cities have seen a disturbing uptick in violent crimes, including shootings, assaults, and robberies. Critics argue that the administration’s policies, which they perceive as lenient on crime, have emboldened criminals and undermined law enforcement efforts. The tragic events in Ohio are a stark reminder of the consequences of these policies.

Local residents expressed their frustration and fear in the wake of the shooting. “We need more support for our police and better enforcement to keep our communities safe,” said a Cleveland resident who wished to remain anonymous. “It’s terrifying to think that this kind of violence can happen so close to home.”

One of the major criticisms against the Biden administration is the lack of support for law enforcement agencies. Many conservatives believe that the administration’s stance has demoralized police officers and reduced their ability to effectively combat crime. The Defund the Police movement, which has gained traction in certain political circles, has further complicated efforts to maintain law and order.

“Officers are stretched thin and feel unsupported,” said a local law enforcement official. “We need strong leadership that backs our efforts to protect communities and crack down on violent crime.”

The shooting in Ohio has left the community reeling, with families mourning the loss of loved ones and others praying for the recovery of the wounded. As crime rates continue to rise, many Americans are calling for immediate action to restore safety and security in their neighborhoods.

“It’s heartbreaking to see our community torn apart by violence,” said another resident. “We need our leaders to take decisive action and address the root causes of crime, not just talk about it.”

In response to the growing violence, conservatives are advocating for policies that prioritize law enforcement funding, stricter sentencing for violent offenders, and initiatives that support community policing. There is a strong belief that a return to law and order is essential for the safety and prosperity of American cities.

Article generated from corporate media reports.

Capchem Technology USA, the wholly-owned subsidiary of China-based Shenzhen Capchem Technology (Capchem), plans to build factories in both Ohio and Louisiana that would produce components for electric vehicle batteries. Chinese government documents reveal the Chinese chemical giant was selected over a decade ago to conduct aerospace research for China’s military industrial complex as part of a program overseen by a blacklisted Chinese government agency.

Corporate reports show the company, as recently as 2023, received payments from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology — a government agency spearheading the Chinese government’s so-called “Military-Civil Fusion” efforts.

“This network of [Chinese Communist Party] military-linked companies proliferating across the United States is a great example of why blind economic engagement with China is a national security threat,” Bryan Burack, senior policy advisor for China and the Indo-Pacific at the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, told the DCNF.

The DCNF’s investigation is based, in part, on information provided by the Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action.

Capchem specializes in manufacturing chemicals for electric vehicle batteries, and for years, the firm has advertised its products’ military uses in annual reports and online. Indeed, until very recently, the firm’s website boldly stated its products were used in “high-end military equipment.”

Yet, Capchem denied supplying the Chinese military, and the reference to “high-end military equipment” was scrubbed from the firm’s website within 24 hours of the DCNF reaching out for comment.

Capchem “does not have products used by Chinese military, or any other military organizations,” a spokesperson told the DCNF.

“When the English/U.S. website was developed, the ‘military’ reference was inadvertently included,” the spokesperson said. “You brought it to the company’s attention, and it was removed just as it had been in the Chinese version in 2020.”

However, the military reference also appeared on Capchem’s Chinese-language website when the DCNF reached out for comment. The reference on Capchem’s Chinese-language site appears to have been removed around the same time as their English-language was being scrubbed.

Capchem business filings and corporate announcements from 2023, along with Chinese financial service research reports from as recent as January 2024, also note the firm’s products had military applications.

Capchem’s work with China’s military industrial complex extends back to at least 2012. That year, the Guangdong province Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced Capchem was one of 70 companies selected to serve as a “Guangdong Provincial National Defense Science And Technology Industry Military-Civil Fusion Superior Work Unit.”

The work unit focused on “critical components within the aerospace field,” including “space flight-grade, high-reliability and core electronic components, high-end general chips, base software, etcetera,” the 2012 Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announcement reads.

The project was overseen by China’s Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, which is “under direct supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology,” and responsible for “nuclear weapons, aerospace technology, aviation, armament, watercraft and electronic industries,” according to China’s State Council.

China’s “Military-Civil Fusion strategy supports the modernization goals of the People’s Liberation Army by ensuring it can acquire advanced technologies and expertise developed by PRC companies, universities, and research programs that appear to be civilian entities,” according to the U.S. Defense Department.

Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi recently sent a letter to the Treasury and Defense departments noting the U.S. government’s blacklist of Chinese military companies extends to companies working with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

“Among other qualifying considerations, a company is a ‘military civil fusion contributor’ if such company is ‘affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, including research partnerships and projects,’” the lawmakers wrote in January 2024. “The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology was formed in 2008 and is key to the PRC’s military-civil fusion strategy.”

Capchem’s annual reports show the firm has received millions of dollars in payments from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology since 2017. The ministry paid the firm approximately $1.5 million for an “Industrial Foundation Project” in 2017, according to Capchem’s annual report for that year.

Capchem’s most recent annual report shows the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had a subsidy of just under $1 million earmarked for the firm at the end of the 2023 mid-term reporting period.

Despite this, Capchem initially denied getting any “money/subsidies/donations from the Chinese government” in an email to the DCNF, though a spokesperson did say the firm had received “economic development tax incentives.”

However, the spokesperson changed their tune when the DCNF pointed to the firm’s own annual reports.

“The last time the company received any Chinese government subsidies besides standard incentives or awards provided for all eligible companies was between 2016 and 2018,” the spokesperson said. “Any reference to subsidies in company reports apply to those received during that time. The company has received no such subsidies since 2018.”

Capchem’s corporate reports list $26 million in subsidies from various Chinese government entities. The company’s 2023 mid-term report lists roughly $10 million worth of new government subsidies in a section labeled “Programs Involving Government Subsidies.”

Heritage’s Burack said Capchem has been “subsidized by the Chinese government” and “manufactures for China’s military.”

“There’s no question who these companies really work for,” Burack said. “There’s no such thing as a private Chinese company.”

‘Aerospace And Military Industries’

Capchem has long advertised the dual military-civilian use for its products. For instance, Capchem’s 2009 annual report touted how the company’s products are used in “aerospace and military industries.”

The vice president of Capchem’s research institute, Liu Zhongbo, discussed the military application of the company’s sodium-ion batteries at a July 2023 battery forum in Jiangsu province.

“Lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries are representative of new battery types serving as an important foundation for supporting the wide application of new energy sources in the domains of electricity, transportation, communication, military, etcetera,” Liu said during the event, according to Capchem’s website.

“In the future, Capchem will closely follow the national strategy to support the mass production of sodium-ion batteries,” Liu said.

More recently, a January 2024 research report from Chinese financial service firm Huaan Securities identified Capchem’s “fluorinated polyimide” product as being used in the nuclear industry and by the military, and the firm’s “perfluoropolyether oil” product’s use in aerospace landing gear, rudders and aircraft control mechanisms.

‘Security Risks’

Capchem’s plans to expand their U.S. footprint come as federal and state officials move to prohibit the ownership of U.S. land by Chinese entities. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson recently issued an executive order in January 2024 banning entities tied to China from purchasing agricultural land within 10 miles of any “critical military facilities” in the state.

Capchem USA is planning on building an approximately $120 million factory in Lawrence County, Ohio, Capchem announced in June 2023. County commissioners recently approved a 50% tax abatement for Capchem USA’s facility, the Herald Dispatch reported. The facility will serve as a “production facility for the manufacturing of battery chemicals,” according to Capchem.

Capchem USA is also considering a $350 million plant in Louisiana, according to Louisiana Economic Development, a government agency.

Ohio Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s congressional district includes Lawrence County. Barbara Boland, Wenstrup’s press secretary, told the DCNF that the congressman has “warned of the potential security risks to our supply chains, intellectual property and national security posed by Chinese-owned companies operating in the U.S.”

“Congressman Wenstrup recommends local governments and those pursuing economic development opportunities to fully vet any companies seeking to establish a footprint in their communities,” Boland said.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

DeWine announced the veto of the legislation, House Bill 68, Friday despite its overwhelming passage by the state legislature. The bill not only banned child sex changes, but it also prohibited biological males from competing in women’s sports.

“DeWine has fallen to the Radical Left,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “No wonder he gets loudly booed in Ohio every time I introduce him at Rallies, but I won’t be introducing him any more. I’m finished with this ‘stiff.’”

“What was he thinking,” Trump continued. “The bill would have stopped child mutilation, and prevented men from playing in women’s sports. Legislature will hopefully overturn. Do it FAST!!!”

The issue of biological males competing in women’s sports after identifying as transgender became controversial in the United States following University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas’s participation in the 2022 NCAA championships. The biological male, who previously ranked at #462 as a male swimmer, won the 500-yard women’s final and placed highly in other events.

Many Republicans criticized DeWine over the veto, including Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose of Ohio.

Trump endorsed DeWine during his reelection bid in 2022.

Some detransitioners, including Chloe Cole, who transitioned as a teenager before stopping, have filed lawsuits against medical professionals who carried out so-called “gender-affirming” procedures.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

DeWine vetoed House Bill 68 on Friday, which would have prohibited doctors from prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors and banned boys from competing in girls’ sports, just hours before the deadline. A review of donations from 2018 to 2023 found that the governor received $40,300 from the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association (OCHA), Cincinnati Children’s, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and ProMedica Children’s Hospital, all of whom support transgender medical care.

OCHA donated $10,000 to the Mike DeWine and Jon Husted Transition Fund on Dec. 28, 2018, and another $10,000 on Dec. 7, 2022, according to the report. A transition fund allows candidates to spend donations for “transition activities and inaugural celebrations,” according to Ohio’s campaign finance handbook.

Cincinnati Children’s, an affiliate of OCHA, donated $300 on Dec. 15, 2022, to the fund and ProMedica, another affiliate of OCHA, also donated $10,000 in December 2018, according to the reports. Nationwide Children’s, a third affiliate with OCHA, donated $5,000 in December 2018 and another $5,000 in January 2023 to the transition fund.

The governor’s office referred the Daily Caller News Foundation back to DeWine’s comments on the bill and his veto. DeWine said last week that he was visiting hospitals that provide transgender procedures to hear families out on both sides of the issue but did not elaborate on which hospitals he went to.

Nick Lashutka, president of the OHCA, testified against House Bill 68, arguing that the bill “strips away” the rights of parents and their transgender children, according to The Guardian.

ProMedica, a member of The Ohio Children's Hospital Association and the largest hospital chain in Ohio also gave DeWine $10,000.

ProMedica seems to offer gender affirming care. pic.twitter.com/eVWWdhJdES

— Parker Thayer (@ParkerThayer) December 29, 2023

“These youth existed before we established our gender clinics, and they will exist if our clinics are forced to close,” Lashutka said.

A spokesperson for OCHA reiterated to the DCNF that DeWine visited with “clinicians and patient families of Ohio’s children’s hospitals.” The spokesperson also included a statement from Lashutka on the governor’s veto.

“We are thankful for Governor DeWine’s thoughtful approach in thoroughly researching the issue of gender-affirming care and vetoing Sub HB 68 today,” Lashutka said. “We welcome the opportunity to work with the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly and relevant state agencies to ensure Ohio’s youth have access to the critical care they need while also addressing concerns raised during debate on HB 68.”

Cincinnati Children’s has a Transgender Health Center that works with patients from five to 24 years old, according to the hospital’s website. The center’s frequently asked questions section explains that patients can get puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones with family consent and does not list an age limit.

Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, the hospital’s chief of staff, also testified against House Bill 68, claiming that the impact of the bill would be “felt deeply and dangerously.”

Nationwide Children’s THRIVE Gender Development Program lists “management of gender-affirming medications, inclusive sexual and reproductive health care, menstrual management and other affirming interventions” as well as “fertility preservation options, puberty blockers or gender-affirming medicines” as services they provide, according to its website. The hospital does not note the age a patient must be to receive care from the program.

In 2021, ProMedica created an LGBTQ+ Patient and Family Advisory Council to educate healthcare providers on how to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ community, according to the Buckeye Flame, a local media outlet. The hospital said that the council was part of a larger goal to better include transgender patients and help refer them to medical facilities that can provide them with any care that ProMedica cannot.

A ProMedica spokesperson told the DCNF that the donations took place under “different leadership in place at the time.”

Cincinnati Children’s and Nationwide Children’s did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

Article originally titled, “GOP Gov Who Vetoed Trans Bills Received Over $40,000 From Children’s Hospitals Supporting Sex Change Procedures.”

Ohio’s legislature passed a bill banning sex-change procedures for minors on Dec. 13, but Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has yet to make a decision on the legislation just three days before the deadline.

House Bill 68 bars doctors from performing sex-change medical procedures, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries, on minors and bans biologically male athletes from competing in women’s sports. The legislation was passed by the Senate in a 24-8 vote and by the state House of Representatives by a 61-27 vote before being sent to DeWine, who has yet to sign the bill three days out from the Dec. 29 deadline.

A spokesperson for DeWine’s office told the Daily Caller News Foundation that “the governor continues to review the bill.” If DeWine declines to either veto or sign the bill, the law will go into effect automatically.

DeWine said in an interview on Dec. 21 that he had been visiting hospitals to talk to families who support and oppose the legislation, according to The Associated Press.

Stella O’Malley, psychotherapist and director of Genspect, an international group that advocates for a “healthy approach to sex and gender,” told the DCNF that “many politicians feel paralyzed in the face of such hostility.”

“Many politicians choose to duck this issue as they feel they will be damned if they do and damned if they don’t,” O’Malley said. “It takes a pioneering and brave politician to grapple with this. But when we look at the astonishing rise in the number of people who regret their medical transition and make the difficult decision to detransition, it is clear that courage is required. We hope the Governor takes the time to read about these issues and comes to the right decision.”

Republican state Rep. Gary Click, who introduced the legislation, told the DCNF, however, that he “would not characterize the governor as hesitating,” explaining that DeWine was “performing due diligence.”

“Personally, I spent much more time before consenting to carry this bill,” Click said. “I respect that he is listening to all sides, especially when I know the facts are in our favor. The facts are on our side. The polls are on our side. The legislature passed HB 68 with an overwhelming majority. I am confident that when the governor considers the information before him he will do the right thing, which is to sign the bill.”

Hundreds testified in support and in opposition to the legislation, with some parents of transgender children and medical professionals arguing the bill would be harmful to transgender youth in the state, according to Fox 19, a local media outlet. A number of detransitioners spoke in support of the bill and one asked lawmakers to “close the door to harmful gender-affirming care.”

Both O’Malley and Click agreed that minors are not capable of consenting to transgender medical procedures and pointed to potential life-long side effects and health problems that have been reported as a result.

“These procedures impede the individual’s ability to orgasm and their ability to have children,” O’Malley told the DCNF. “Medical transition carries a heavy burden on the body and the risks of osteoporosis, heart failure and cognitive impairment are significantly increased by these procedures. Young people often feel indestructible. Sadly, as we age, we better understand risks.”

Nearly two dozen states have passed laws restricting sex-change procedures for minors, according to the Human Rights Campaign. A judge in Idaho ruled Tuesday against a state law signed in April, arguing that the plaintiffs would likely succeed on the merits of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

Ohio HB 201 would prohibit any state agency, county or township from restricting the sale or use of a motor vehicle based on the type of energy used to power a vehicle, as well as prevent any state agency from adopting California’s stringent vehicle emissions standards, according to its text. The bill has progressed out of the committee process and now awaits a vote on the state House floor.

“HB 201 will ensure that no state agency or local government can hinder the free-market innovations we are seeing in the automotive industry by restricting the use or sale of any vehicle based on what type of engine or fuel source a vehicle uses,” Sarah Spence, executive director of the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum, said of the legislation in June. “Allowing the free market to work will give the auto industry the time needed to balance cost and quality while reshoring our manufacturing and supply chain.”

Republicans control 66 of the state House’s 100 seats, and the party has a supermajority in the state Senate. The state’s governor, Mike DeWine, is also a Republican, so the bill cannot be obstructed solely by Democratic opposition.

While the bill would serve as a roadblock to any future attempt by a Democrat-controlled state government to impose an EV mandate, a federal mandate would still supersede the bill’s provisions, according to Cleveland.com.

EVs have a sticker price that is about $5,000 higher on average than that of gas-powered vehicles, according to a July 2023 analysis by Kelley Blue Book.

The bill’s Republican sponsors have lauded it as a means to stymie inflation, and also pointed out that the American EV industry writ large is heavily dependent upon Chinese supply chains, according to Cleveland.com.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].