It’s not who, it’s how many.

Springfield, Ohio — a small city in the state where I serve as attorney general — is groaning under the weight of Haitian immigrants numbering as many as a third of its population in the last census. 

The media is using all of its incantations — xenophobic, racist, even “conspiracy theory” —  to try to shut down the debate around this real-life example of the administration’s failed immigration policies. But it’s not who, it’s how many.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 Haitians in this country under the administration’s “temporary” protection policy have descended on this small town of 58,000. The people of Springfield are good-hearted folks who are quick to help people in need — but they couldn’t handle that many new residents if they were Baptists from Kentucky — but at least the Baptists would presumably speak English. It’s got nothing to do with who they are or where they came from — there’s just too many.

Last year, there were about 150 students from Haiti in the schools; this year, it’s well over 500. That means more expensive translators, more English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) teachers. More than 4,000 are receiving public assistance, partially paid for out of our state’s coffers.

The Haitians do not know American traffic rules, and both police and residents tell me that auto accidents caused by erratic driving are a regular occurrence. Unlike the drive-by media, navigating by press releases and Twitter, I’ve actually been on the ground and talked to people in Springfield.

Many of these immigrants came to Springfield looking for work, and some found it — but the town’s employers didn’t have thousands and thousands of jobs. The results are predictable and are playing out in real time.

Most Americans support legal, controlled immigration that is designed to benefit labor force shortages. But the federal government is not controlling immigration or managing the immigrant population here. Local officials tell me they receive no communication about what immigrants are going where. 

This is a debate America needs to have. Open borders are on the ballot this November — and at least in Springfield, I suspect the majority of the people are going to be voting to stop the madness of the Biden-Harris open border policy.

Dave Yost is Ohio’s 51st attorney general; his goal is to “do big good” for the people of Ohio by protecting consumers, rooting out corruption, defending the environment, ensuring an open and competitive marketplace, and fulfilling the many other duties of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.