Springfield, Ohio, parents ask Trump and Vance to stop using their child as 'political tool'

Shortly before the ABC News presidential debate on Tuesday, the parents of a child who was killed in a bus crash caused by a Haitian immigrant in Springfield, Ohio, last year made an emotional plea for former President Donald Trump, vice presidential candidate JD Vance and others to stop using the death of their child “as a political tool.”

“They have spoken my son's name and used his death for political gain,” said Nathan Clark, who spoke at a Springfield City Commission hearing. Flanked by his wife Danielle, Clark said "My son was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti."

“I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man. I bet you never thought anyone would ever say something so blunt. But if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone,” he said tearfully.

Aiden Clark was killed last year when a minivan driven by Hemanio Joseph crashed into his school bus. Joseph, whose legal team says has Temporary Protected Status (TPS), was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide and sentenced to nine to 13 years in prison in May. Joseph's team has filed to appeal the conviction.

Some Haitian nationals present in the United States are eligible for TPS, which provides them with temporary permission to live and work in the country legally. The Department of Homeland Security designates certain countries for TPS when it deems it too dangerous for migrants to return due civil unrest, natural disasters, or other reasons.

Nathan Clark called for an apology from Vance, Trump, Bernie Moreno, the Republican Senate candidate in Ohio, and Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy, who he called "morally bankrupt," for spinning Aiden's death "towards hate."

“This needs to stop now," he said. "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. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”

The claims about the Haitian community in Springfield spread quickly through conservative circles with accounts like that of the House Judiciary Committee Republicans using AI tools to show Trump holding cats and ducks, portraying him as a savior of animals.

One of the main images circulating online showing a man holding a dead goose was taken not in Springfield, but in Columbus, Ohio, two months ago. The resident who captured the image told ABC News he was surprised to see his image used to “ push false narratives.”

In a Tuesday post on X, Vance made debunked claims about Haitian migrants eating people's pets in the town -- a claim he later conceded could be false.

"In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who've said their neighbors' pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants," Vance wrote on X. "It's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false."

But then he went on to say, "Do you know what's confirmed? That a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here."

Vance then criticized Harris for the Biden administration's Temporary Protected Status extension for tens of thousands of Haitian migrants.

A spokesperson for Vance did not respond when ABC News asked for comment and more information about the incident he described in the post.

Asked for comment on the Clarks’ plea, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said, “We are deeply sorry to the Clark family for the loss of their son. We hope the media will continue to cover the stories of the very real suffering and tragedies experienced by the people of Springfield, Ohio due to the influx of illegal Haitian immigrants in their community.”

At Tuesday's debate, Trump brought up the unsubstantiated claims circulating online regarding immigrants in Springfield.

Bryan Heck, Springfield's city manager, also condemned the misinformation being spread on social media and in the political arena.

"Our Springfield community is making notable progress that contributes to its growing appeal to new residents, including immigrants," Heck said in an online statement. "This development is underpinned by our city’s diverse and robust industrial base that encompasses the technology, automotive, food production and distribution sectors. The growth in our workforce population has supported the expansion of local businesses, contributed to the stabilization of the local economy. Our commitment to promoting a business-friendly environment has attracted new enterprises to our region and we’ll continue to focus on collaborating with industry leaders who seek to establish operations here.”

He also stated that challenges related to the growing immigrant population are from the pace of the growth and not the growth itself.

"These rumors will not distract us from addressing the real strain on our resources including the impact to our schools, healthcare system and first responders," Heck said.

Migrants have been drawn to the region because of the low cost of living and work opportunities, the city says on its site. The city estimates there are around 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants living in the county, and the rapid rise in population has strained housing, health care, and school resources.

But the city also says that the migrants are in the country legally and that many are recipients of Temporary Protected Status.

The Haitian Bridge Alliance condemned "baseless and inflammatory" claims about Haitian migrants, arguing they "not only perpetuate harmful stereotypes but also contribute to the dangerous stigmatization of immigrant communities, particularly Black immigrants from the Republic of Haiti."

The group has also called for an apology.

At Tuesday's debate, Trump ranted about migrants from Haiti stealing and eating people's pets.

"They're eating the dogs. The people that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating -- they're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country. And it's a shame."

Bryan Heck, Springfield's city manager, also condemned the misinformation being spread on social media and in the political arena.

"Our Springfield community is making notable progress that contributes to its growing appeal to new residents, including immigrants," Heck said in an online statement. "This development is underpinned by our city’s diverse and robust industrial base that encompasses the technology, automotive, food production and distribution sectors. The growth in our workforce population has supported the expansion of local businesses, contributed to the stabilization of the local economy. Our commitment to promoting a business-friendly environment has attracted new enterprises to our region and we’ll continue to focus on collaborating with industry leaders who seek to establish operations here.”

He also stated that challenges related to the growing immigrant population are from the pace of the growth and not the growth itself.

"These rumors will not distract us from addressing the real strain on our resources including the impact to our schools, healthcare system and first responders," Heck said.

Migrants have been drawn to the region because of the low cost of living and work opportunities, the city says on its site. The city estimates there are around 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants living in the county, and the rapid rise in population has strained housing, health care, and school resources.

But the city also says that the migrants are in the country legally and that many are recipients of TPS.

The Haitian Bridge Alliance condemned "baseless and inflammatory" claims about Haitian migrants, arguing they "not only perpetuate harmful stereotypes but also contribute to the dangerous stigmatization of immigrant communities, particularly Black immigrants from the Republic of Haiti."

The group has also called for an apology.

ABC News' Julia Reinstein and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.