Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance is repeating claims about Haitian immigrants in Ohio that authorities in the city, which has seen large scale immigration, say are not true.
On social platform X, Vance shared a video clip of a speech he gave earlier about immigration issues in Springfield, Ohio, ending it with a question seemingly pointed at Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic challenger to former President Donald Trump:
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 9, 2024Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio.
Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country. Where is our border czar? pic.twitter.com/rf0EDIeI5i
“Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country,” Vance wrote.
Vance is referencing reports on right-wing media outlets that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating dogs, cats, and geese and ducks in public parks.
The claim has been amplified by others, including billionaire X owner Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump.
“20,000 Haitian migrants were dumped into the small town of Springfield, Ohio,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 9, 2024
According to the Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun, the claim is not accurate.
The paper reported that the Springfield Police Division said Monday they have received no reports related to pets being stolen and eaten.
The claim appears to have originated from a Facebook group post that has gone viral, where a user claimed their neighbor’s daughter’s friend had lost her cat and found it hanging from a branch at a Haitian neighbor’s home and prepared for eating.
The poster also claimed “Rangers” and police told them that “they have been doing it” at a park with ducks and geese.
The paper said the stories may be confused with a case in Canton, Ohio, 175 miles northeast of Springfield. A woman there was charged with cruelty to companion animals for allegedly killing and eating a cat in a neighborhood in front of witnesses.
Haitian immigration to Springfield has been an issue for months, as city officials there say between 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants - by some counts 20,000 - have settled in the area in the last four years, attracted by jobs in warehouses, manufacturing and the service industry, among other sectors. The city set up an FAQ page to address specific questions about Haitian immigration. Springfield had a population of about 58,000 in 2022, according to census figures.
The story - as well as others shared at Springfield City Council meetings and on online forums - are similar to others seen and heard in Alabama in cities associated with recent Haitian immigration.
In August, photos of Haitian immigrants in Albertville being bused to and from work at a poultry processing plant prompted questions about who the people were and where they came from, leading to what city officials called “baseless accusations, and hurtful rhetoric.”
This resulted in a series of community meetings and the formation of a non-profit.
Immigrant workers have been a focus of residents’ concerns in Athens and Sylacauga, with city officials facing questions about the effect on crime, school overcrowding and housing.
Officials in both Albertville and Athens say Haitian immigrants make up a small percentage of the population, and they have seen no increase in crime since larger amounts of immigrants began arriving this year following unrest on the Caribbean island.
At a recent Springfield council meeting, residents wanted to know - like residents in Sylacauga - about who was watching the Haitian population. According to The New York Times, speakers claimed, without evidence, that Haitians were responsible for drug trafficking, theft and disease.
“Haitians are occupying our land,”one resident said, saying Haitians would run everyone else out of town.
The surge in population in Springfield has affected different sectors of the local economy. The New York Times reported the community health clinic saw a 13-fold increase in Haitian patients between 2021 and 2023, from 115 to 1,500, overwhelming its staff and budget. School enrollment has surged, and affordable housing is tight.
Tensions were also exacerbated by an Aug. 22, 2023 school bus crash that killed one student and injured dozens more.
Hermanio Joseph, 36, a Haitian immigrant who did not have a valid driver’s license, crossed over the center line into the oncoming lane on state Route 41, with his 2010 Honda Odyssey. He was sentenced earlier this year to a prison term of nine to 13.5 years, according to the Springfield News-Sun.
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