Singer John Legend recently weighed in on the controversial migrant crisis in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio, urging residents to “embrace” the 20,000 Haitian migrants who have sparked heated debates in the town.

Speaking from his Beverly Hills mansion in a video posted to Instagram, the Grammy-winning artist addressed the challenges faced by Springfield, which has seen a significant population increase due to the arrival of Haitian migrants.

“You might imagine there are some challenges with integrating a new population,” Legend said. “New language, new culture, new dietary preferences—there are all kinds of reasons why there might be growing pains.” Legend explained that Springfield, once home to 60,000 people, now faces a 25% population increase due to the influx of migrants.

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While some of Legend’s fans praised his call for tolerance, others criticized the singer for speaking from the comfort of his multimillion-dollar mansion, far removed from the issues affecting Springfield. “He’s just like you. Except he doesn’t live in Springfield,” one critic commented on social media, while another asked, “Why don’t you house some of these migrants in your mansion?”

Hey everyone, this is @johnlegend.

This is John Legend’s Beverly Hills home.

You should totally listen to John Legend lecture you on his hometown of Springfield, and how 15,000 Haitian immigrants into a town of 60,000 is totally normal.

He’s just like you.

Except he doesn’t… https://t.co/ljTiSmdDIQ pic.twitter.com/I5B8sfNWQw

— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) September 13, 2024

In the video, Legend also addressed rumors that the Haitian migrants were eating pets, dismissing the claims as unfounded. “Nobody’s eating cats. Nobody’s eating dogs,” Legend stated, referring to accusations that had surfaced in local meetings and were amplified by former President Donald Trump during a recent presidential debate.

Legend pleaded for tolerance and understanding, urging people to reject “hateful, xenophobic, racist lies” about the migrants.

 

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A post shared by John R Stephens – Springfield, Ohio (@johnlegend)

The rumors, which originated from angry residents at a Springfield town hall meeting, gained national attention when Trump claimed during the debate that Haitian migrants in Springfield were eating people’s pets. “They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats,” Trump said, drawing swift fact-checking from debate moderators and local officials. City officials and police have repeatedly stated there is no evidence of such claims.

Mayor Rob Rue of Springfield backed up the city’s stance during an interview, clarifying that the accusations were baseless. “These claims are just untrue. We’ve just not seen reports of this,” Rue told News Nation’s Chris Cuomo. He also noted that while the city did not seek this attention, it has had to deal with the frenzy caused by online rumors.

Springfield, which had been experiencing economic decline for years, has seen a boost in jobs recently, attracting Haitian migrants who arrived in the U.S. legally under Temporary Protected Status.

While the migrants have helped fill job vacancies, their arrival has also placed a strain on local resources, including medical services and schools.

Legend’s call for compassion comes as tensions in Springfield continue to rise.

On Thursday, City Hall and a local elementary school were evacuated after a bomb threat, which was reportedly linked to the Haitian immigration issue.

Despite the challenges, Mayor Rue emphasized the positive changes Springfield has experienced. “We were in an economic decline for a long time, and over the last 10 years, we’ve seen about 8,000 jobs come to our community. There’s a lot of good things happening in Springfield,” he said.