Ohio Haitian community leader argues ‘America should be an open country for everybody’

Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Having trouble? Click here.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A Haitian community leader in an Ohio town that burst into the national spotlight over longtime residents’ claims about disturbing incidents involving refugees argues that America’s history means the country should be open to taking in more migrants.

“America is a beacon of the world in terms of democracy, where they say that human [rights] have to be respected and where they say that they treat people with respect and dignity,” Viles Dorsainvil, the executive director of Springfield’s Haitian Community Help and Support Center, told Fox News Digital. “I think the American forefathers made that clear, that America should be an open country for everybody.”

The comments come as Springfield, Ohio, which sits about 50 miles west of Columbus, has recently been thrust into the national spotlight, most notably after comments last week by both people on the

View Source