During presidential debate on Tuesday, Sept. 10, former President Donald Trump brought attention to unverified claims circulating in Ohio about Haitian migrants allegedly eating local pets and wildlife. These accusations have been denied by both city officials and law enforcement in Springfield, Ohio, however, the city has been dealing with challenges posed by a significant increase in Haitian migrants.
Since 2020, approximately 20,000 Haitian migrants are estimated to have arrived in Springfield, which has placed a strain on local resources. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine addressed the situation, saying, “If you just look at the percentage, this is a massive increase. It’s just unprecedented what we’ve seen in Springfield and so again, they need help.”
In response, DeWine announced plans to send law enforcement support and $2.5 million in health care resources to assist the city in managing the influx.
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Springfield has become a focal point in the national conversation on immigration, with Ohio’s Attorney General Dave Yost considering a potential lawsuit against the federal government to limit the arrival of additional migrants to the state.
“I want the people of Springfield and Clark County to know that as we move forward, we will continue to do everything we can to help the community deal with this surge of migrants,” said DeWine in a statement. “The federal government has not demonstrated that they have any kind of plan to deal with the issue. We will not walk away.”
The Ohio State Patrol was dispatched to Springfield on Wednesday to assist local law enforcement, particularly as officials reported an uptick in traffic issues caused by migrants unfamiliar with U.S. traffic laws.
Meanwhile, unsubstantiated rumors about Haitian migrants abducting and harming pets and wildlife have continued to circulate.
Vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, echoed these claims during an interview after this week’s debate, saying “When you have a lot of people saying, my pets are being abducted, or geese at the city pond are being abducted and slaughtered right in front of us, this is crazy stuff.”
Other social media channels have continued to investigate these assertions, traveling to Springfield to speak with residents about the claims.
“We’ve lost a whole bunch of cats,” one resident of the city claimed. “There was a van load, a van pulled over that had over 100 cats in it with the Haitians. They said they was eating them.”
Local government representatives have denied any reports that Haitian migrants are harming pets, engaging in illegal activities like squatting, or intentionally disrupting traffic.
The Springfield City manager emphasized that no evidence has been found to support these rumors, issuing a statement which said “there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”
Donald Trump: “In Springfield, 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.”
Jack Alymer: UNVERIFIED CLAIMS ABOUT HAITIAN MIGRANTS TOOK CENTER STAGE AT THIS WEEK’S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE.
FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP REPEATING THE ACCUSATIONS OUT OF OHIO THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE EATING LOCAL PETS AND WILDLIFE.
WHILE CITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE DENIED THAT ANY OF THIS IS HAPPENING, WHAT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED – IS THE STRAIN BEING PUT ON THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AS A RESULT OF AN INFLUX OF SOME 20-THOUSAND HAITIAN MIGRANTS SINCE 2020.
Gov. Mike DeWine: If you just look at the percentage, this is a massive increase. It’s, you know, just unprecedented what we’ve seen in Springfield and so again, they need help.
Jack Alymer: IT’S WHY OHIO GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE IS ANNOUNCING A PLAN TO SEND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN HEALTHCARE RESOURCES.
A CLEAR RESPONSE AS SPRINGFIELD FINDS ITSELF IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON THE ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION POLICY.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, OHIO’S ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID HE WOULD DIRECT HIS OFFICE TO POTENTIALLY FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO STOP MORE MIGRANTS FROM COMING TO THE STATE.
THE OHIO STATE PATROL WAS DISPATCHED WEDNESDAY TO HELP LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
OFFICIALS SAY TRAFFIC ISSUES HAVE INCREASED BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY HAITIANS UNFAMILIAR WITH U-S TRAFFIC LAWS USING THE ROADS.
MEANWHILE THE SO FAR UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS ABOUT DOMESTIC PETS AND WILDLIFE CONTINUE TO BE AMPLIFIED.
Sen. JD Vance: “When you have a lot of people saying, my pets are being abducted, or geese at the city pond are being abducted and slaughtered right in front of us, this is crazy stuff.”
Jack Alymer: A POST ON X FROM Republican vice-presidential candidate AND OHIO SENATOR JD Vance HAD MORE THAN 11 MILLION VIEWS AS OF WEDNESDAY.
OTHER OFFICIAL REPUBLICAN PARTY SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS HAVE ALSO REFERRED TO THE CLAIMS.
DESPITE A LACK OF EVIDENCE FROM CITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS – SEVERAL VIDEOS HAVE SURFACED FEEDING SPECULATION FROM THE PUBLIC.
Springfield resident:
“We’ve lost a whole bunch of cats. There was a van load, a van pulled over that had over 100 cats in it with the Haitians. They said they was eating them.”
“There was Haitians in a white van driving around the neighborhoods, collecting cats, what, skinning them and eating them.”
Springfield local:
“We are not aware of it. I didn’t say this phenomenon doesn’t exist. But, I am not unaware of it and I don’t believe that story. I don’t believe in that.”
Jack Alymer: AS THESE RUMORS CONTINUE TO CIRCULATE – THE SPRINGFIELD CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE HAS REFUTED ANY REPORTS THAT HAITIAN MIGRANTS ARE HURTING PETS-
AS WELL AS CLAIMS THEY ARE ENGAGING IN OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY SUCH AS SQUATING OR DELIBERATELY DISRUPTING TRAFFIC.
WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE LATEST ON THIS SITUATION IN OHIO AND YOU CAN TOO-
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