Uncovering facts about the misleading allegation affecting Haitian migrants in an Ohio community
The disputed assertions have garnered significant attention on a national level. Previously, former President Donald Trump perpetuated this misinformation during his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, falsely stating, "In Springfield, they're consuming dogs. The ones who have entered, they're consuming cats."
Subsequently, Vance has unwaveringly stood by this unsubstantiated claim. On a Sunday broadcast on CNN's "State of the Union," he stated, "The American media disregarded this issue until Donald Trump and I started discussing cat memes. If I have to fabricate stories to draw attention to the struggles of the American people, I will do so."
This misinformation has made a swift transition from a local Facebook post to national headlines within a few days, and authorities are attempting to mitigate the tension as Springfield grapples with the repercussions.
The origination of the misconceptions
A post on a Springfield Facebook group alleged that a missing cat had been found at a Haitian neighbor's home and was to be consumed, as reported by the Springfield News-Sun. These rumors were subsequently amplified by conservative media outlets and spread on platform X, garnering widespread attention on September 9, according to CNN at the time.
"President Trump will deport immigrants who consume pets," a Trump campaign account wrote on X. "Kamala Harris will relocate them to your town. Make your decision, America."
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas shared a meme depicting two kittens embracing with text overlaid that read, "Vote for Trump so Haitian immigrants don't consume us."
Vance also posted a video discussing migration to Ohio during a recent hearing, stating, "Reports now indicate that individuals have had their pets abducted and consumed by those who should not be in this country."
Several accounts shared body-worn camera footage supposedly supporting their claims. However, this footage was filmed in Canton, Ohio, more than 170 miles away from Springfield, and the woman in the video was not a Haitian immigrant, as reported by Reuters.
One of the first Springfield residents to share the misinformation told NBC News on Friday that she regretted propagating the Facebook post about a missing neighbor's cat.
The Ohio officials refute the allegations as unfounded
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue has consistently denied the accusations, informing CNN on Sunday that the city is experiencing a difficult time and has received threats over several days.
"We are under intense scrutiny because of this spotlight, making it challenging to focus on the issues genuinely needed. We are focused on the security of our community at this time," Rue told Bash on "State of the Union."
The fallout in the small city has been extensive, leading to lockdowns or closures at Springfield's City Hall, schools, colleges, and hospitals due to threats.
DeWine is deploying the Ohio State Highway Patrol to monitor Springfield's schools after they received 33 bomb threats since late last week. The threats have proven to be baseless, according to DeWine during a news conference on Monday afternoon.
Rue has not directly communicated with Vance, but he urged those propagating the rumors to understand that Springfield's authorities are providing truthful information to the community.
"Immigration has put strain on our community, but we aim to comfortably accommodate it and promote community security and growth," Rue said.
DeWine unequivocally dismissed the allegation on Sunday. "No, absolutely not," DeWine answered when asked whether he had witnessed any evidence of immigrants consuming pets on ABC's "This Week."
Haitian immigrants in Springfield
Springfield's website states that between 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants reside in Clark County (with a population of 136,000), and Haitian immigrants are legally present as part of a parole program that allows citizens and lawful residents to apply for their family members from Haiti to enter the United States.
The spread of misinformation has tapped into genuine concerns from locals about the city's growth, as expressed by residents to CNN.
In a July letter to Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Tim Scott of South Carolina, City Manager Bryan Heck mentioned that housing shortages have presented a "crisis" for the city since 2018, and the city's expanding population has added stress.
According to the city, immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are legally qualified to receive financial assistance, health and nutrition services, employment and education services, and housing services. Since immigrants granted TPS must apply for an Employment Authorization Document, which may take several months to obtain, they may require assistance before legally seeking employment.
Programs such as TPS and, more recently, humanitarian parole, were introduced to address natural disasters and political instability and violence in Haiti.
Springfield's economy relies heavily on Haitian workers, who fill numerous vacant positions, according to the city.
DeWine acknowledged that Springfield has encountered some difficulties integrating the majority Haitian population that entered the city through the federal immigration program. However, he asserted that they are making efforts to overcome these issues.
"When you upsize a population from 58,000 to 73,000, you're bound to encounter some hurdles and troubles," he said.
However, the governor stated that Haitian immigrants in Springfield have a positive impact on the community and that spreading harmful comments about them is unhelpful to Springfield and its residents.
Trump and Vance fan the flames
Vance acknowledged last week that the claims about Haitian immigrants might not be factual but urged his supporters to keep sharing "cat memes."
"My office has received numerous complaints from actual Springfield residents who claim that their pets or local wildlife have been snatched by Haitian migrants. It's possible that all these rumors are baseless," Vance posted on X on September 10, adding, "Save your outrage for your fellow citizens who are suffering under Kamala Harris's policies."
In a subsequent post, Vance said, "Let the media not discourage you, fellow patriots. Keep the cat memes circulating."
Trump, on the other hand, has utilized these falsehoods on his campaign trail to emphasize his immigration stance after verbatim repeating the misstatement during last week's debate.
On Friday, the former president declared that if elected, he would initiate massive deportations from Springfield, Ohio, massive deportations. "We will deport these individuals to Venezuela," he promised.
Speaking in Las Vegas on Saturday, Trump informed reporters that although he wasn't aware of any bomb threats in Springfield, "Springfield has been overrun by unlawful migrants, and that's a deplorable situation that has occurred. Springfield was a charming town, but now people are enduring hardships."
CNN's Kit Maher, Eric Bradner, Caitlin Stephen Hu, Omar Jimenez, Michael Williams, Taylor Romine and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
In response to the misinformation spread by conservative media outlets and political figures, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue has faced challenges in focusing on the city's needs due to the intense scrutiny and threats. (politics)
Governor DeWine has dismissed the allegations of Haitian immigrants consuming pets in Springfield as unfounded, highlighting the need for fact-checked information in political discourse. (politics)
