‘EXACERBATING’ PROBLEMS: Ohio AG eyes lawsuit over migrant crisis

TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. GRIFF: THAT'S SINGER JOHN LEGEND WEIGHING IN ON HIS HOMETOWN OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO WHERE AN INFLUX OF HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS HAS BECOME A POLITICAL FLASH POINT. LET' BRING IN THE ATTORNEY FOR THE STATE OF OHIO, DAVE YOST, THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME AND AS JOHN LEGEND POINTED OUT THERE, IT IS NEARLY A THIRD OF THE POPULATION HAS NOW COME TO THIS TINY TOWN. IN FACT, WE CAN SHOW YOU THE NUMBERS. IT'S 15 TO 20,000 HAITIANS IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAVE COME TO THIS TOWN OF 58,000. THAT'S QUITE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. LET ME START, DAVE, WITH ASKING YOU WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT OF THIS INFLUX ON SPRINGFIELD? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN SPRINGFIELD ARE GOOD-HEARTED PEOPLE. THEY'RE NOT MEAN. THEY TRY TO HELP FOLKS THAT NEED A HELPING HAND. THERE'S NOT A TOWN IN THE COUNTRY THAT CAN ABSORB A QUARTER TO A THIRD OF ITS OWN POPULATION THAT DOESN'T SPEAK ENGLISH, IS COMING HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE SYSTEMS THERE ARE BREAKING. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS 150 OR SO STUDENTS THAT WERE HAITIANS LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR IT'S OVER 500. THERE'S 4,000-- MORE THAN 4,000 HAITIANS THAT ARE RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS PARTLY PAID FOR BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT. EVERYBODY'S GOT A STAKE IN THIS. THIS ISN'T ABOUT WHO, IT'S ABOUT HOW MANY. GRIFF: YEAH, DAVE, IN FACT, I'VE COVERED EXTENSIVELY ON THIS NETWORK, THE CHB PROGRAM, THE CONTROVERSIAL LEGAL PATHWAY TO BRING HAITIANS, CUBANS, NICKA DPCHLT UA. AND THEY'VE COME INTO THE COUNTRY SINCE JANUARY OF LAST YEARS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE LAWSUIT, LOOKING AT LEGAL PATH WAYS TO SEE JUST HOW FAR -- AS FAR AS THE POWER GOES. TELL ME ABOUT THAT. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT AN ABSURD EXTENSION. IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NO LIMITS ON ITS POWER, COULD THEY, FOR EXAMPLE, RESETTLING ALL 10 OR 12 MILLION PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME IN IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS INTO AMERICA IN OHIO? THAT WOULD DOUBLE OUR POPULATION, THERE'S NO WAY THAT THE STATE AND ITS TOWNS COULD ABSORB THAT. WE HAVE PROBLEM WITH HOUSING CRISIS AND HEALTH CARE ACCESS. WHAT IS THE LIMITS AND WHAT CAN THEY DO TO A MEMBER STATE WITHOUT THE STATE'S CONSENT? THESE ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET THIS IN FRONT OF A FEDERAL JUDGE. TAKING A LOOK RIGHT NOW AT THE AUTHORIZING STATUTE, AND THE RULES THAT RUN THIS PROGRAM, THE GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AND TO SEE WHETHER THAT'S WITHIN PROPER LEGAL BOUNDS. DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOU'LL BRING LEGAL ACTION? >> WE'RE LOOKING. I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE JUST YET, THE CREATIVE AND NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. GRIFF: IS SPRINGFIELD OR THE STATE OF OHIO RECEIVING ANY FEDERAL MONEY TO SUPPORT THE RESETTLEMENT OF THIS POPULATION? >> WELL, SURE, THERE'S SOME FEDERAL MONEY. OBVIOUSLY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAYS FOR PART OF MEDICAID. THERE'S FEDERAL MONEY FOR SNAP AND SUCH. SO, IT'S NOT THAT THERE'S NO MONEY, BUT THERE CERTAINLY IS NOT ANY CLOSE TO THE RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR 20,000 PEOPLE. WHAT TOWN OF 60,000 COULD FIND HOUSING FOR 20,000 PEOPLE ALMOST OVERNIGHT? YOU JUST CAN'T DO IT AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE ARE ALREADY HAVING THIS DEBATE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THIS IS IS EXACERBATING IT. GRIFF: THE RESIDENTS IN SPRINGFIELD ARE STARTING TO TALK OUT ABOUT THE TOLL ON THEM. AND THIS IS ONE WHO SPOKE OUT TO JESSE WATER. >> THE FOOD BANKS ARE GETTING STRIPPED AND THE BUDGET WAS DECIMATED. WHAT WE ARE IS A CITY THAT ONLY WANTS OUR SAFETY, SECURITY AND SOVEREIGNTY BACK. GRIFF: HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO THE MAYOR OR ANY LOCAL LEADERS THERE? ARE THEY ON THE SAME PAGE WITH UNDERSTANDING JUST HOW TAXED THE RESIDENTS ARE FEELING? >> THEY VERY MUCH ARE. LOOK, I WAS OUT THERE AS EARLY AS JUNE AND WAS HEARING ABOUT THIS FROM THE MAYOR AND I'VE TALKED WITH POLICE OFFICIALS, THE COUNTY SHERIFF, THE COUNTY SHERIFF ELECT. I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO CONCERNED THAT THIS WHOLE NATIONAL DEBATE AND PARTICULARLY, THE ATTEMPT BY THE LEFT WING MEDIA TO TRY TO SHUT DOWN THIS DEBATE, IS PUTTING THEIR TOWN IN A BAD LIGHT AND I DON'T BLAME THEM. THIS IS A GREAT HEARTLAND TOWN IN AMERICA, A STRONG HISTORY. THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE. THEY'RE GOOD-HEARTED PEOPLE, BUT IT ILLUSTRATES WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION POLICY ON IMMIGRATION. THEY DON'T MANAGE IT, THEY DON'T COMMUNICATE, THEY DON'T SUPPORT IT. AND THEY JUST LET PEOPLE COME OUT AND WE SEE THE RESULTS OF IT HERE IN SPRINGFIELD. HERE IS THE THING, THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANY CITY IN AMERICA. THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOUR TOWN. GRIFF: AND LASTLY, BEFORE YOU RUN OUT OF TIME, TWO SCHOOLS RECEIVED BOMB THREATS AND WERE CLOSED ON FRIDAY. >> YEAH. LET ME BE REALLY CLEAR. THAT'S A SERIOUS SECOND DEGREE FELONY IN OHIO TO DO A BOMB THREAT FOR A SCHOOL. WE ALSO HAVE REPORTS THIS MORNING THERE WERE BOMB THREATS AT MEDICAL FACILITIES HERE ON SATURDAY. KNOCK IT OFF. BOMB THREATS ARE NOT PART OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE. THEY'RE NOT FREE SPEECH. IT'S A CRIME AND THE POLICE ARE GOING TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND I KNOW THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES WILL TAKE THOSE CASES TO COURT. >> MR. ATTORNEY GENERAL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WE APPRECIATE IT. PLEASE KEEP US POSTED AN