During Tuesday’s debate, former President Donald Trump mentioned certain conditions in Springfield, Ohio, regarding Haitian migrants. This received some strong reactions from the ABC moderators and Kamala Harris – but the question remains: is any of what Trump said happening? Unfortunately, the answer depends on who you ask.
For context, the town of Springfield has taken on about 20,000 Haitian migrants currently under protected status because of the chaos in their home country. This group of migrants is just a fraction of the Haitian migrants in America with similar protections granted under the Biden/Harris administration.
Still, a group of 20,000 people moving into any neighborhood is enough to create at least some logistical issues – some of which were brought up by Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance months ago.
But lately, the problem appears to have morphed. Now, some reports and citizens suggest that these migrants are creating unsafe conditions in the town.
Some say that a few migrants have even been seen killing pets or wild birds in public spaces. Some say they have eaten these animals, others have linked this to Haitian voodoo practice.
Despite the speculation on the reasons, citizens seem to confirm that animals are disappearing. As unveiled on the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton show, residents of Springfield have been complaining about such conditions since at least August of this year.
The news has blown up in recent days with many pro-Trump social media users sharing AI-generated images of cats and ducks holding signs to vote for Trump to save their lives. Then, Trump made his comment during the debate – but was quickly rebuked.
ABC’s David Muir said officials in the area have not confirmed any such activity from Haitian migrants. News from the Springfield area says that the Springfield Police Division has not received any report of pets being stolen and eaten. The Springfield mayor has also reportedly denied these rumors.
Other publications, including The Hill and Snopes, agree that this claim of pets being eaten is “unfounded.” But these publications seem to go against the testimony of the people in Springfield.
Regardless, the state of Ohio is attempting to do something about the conditions in Springfield. On Tuesday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced a $2.5 million investment over the next few years meant to expand access to primary care and provide more state troopers in the area – mostly to monitor traffic.