The Caribbean nation of Haiti has been riddled by gang violence since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, causing its civilians to flee the island at extraordinary rates. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s monthly Current Population Survey—weighted to include illegal immigrants—the Haitian-born population in the United States numbered more than 1.1 million in July 2024, a nearly 40 percent increase from its mark of more than 800,000 in July 2021, the month of Moïse’s assassination.
Immigration opponents have called attention to the influx of Haitian immigrants in recent weeks, particularly in the town of Springfield, Ohio. It is true that the city’s Haitian population has grown in recent years. In a July letter to two U.S. senators appealing for housing assistance, Springfield’s city manager wrote that the city’s Haitian immigrant population has grown to 15,000 to 20,000 people since the start of 2020, when Springfield’s population was just shy of 60,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
But claims that immigrants residing there have been eating pets—including cats, dogs, ducks, and geese are false.
“Springfield is a small town in Ohio. 4 years ago, they had 60k residents. Under Harris and Biden, 20,000 Haitian immigrants were shipped to the town. Now ducks and pets are disappearing.” That post was from the End Wokeness account on X, which has 2.9 million followers
“Residents in Springfield Ohio are dealing with a surge of Illegal Migrants from Haiti that are eating pets, cats, dogs, geese,” another prominent X account posted on Sunday. “One woman came home to find her cat skinned and hanging in a tree.”
“THOUSANDS of Haitian Migrants TERRORIZE Ohio, EAT Family Pets, Cats, Dogs & Ducks,” right-wing online personality Benny Johnson titled his Monday video podcast. Catturd, a right-wing personality with 2.9 million followers on X, attempted to tie these claims to the presidential election. “Unless you want your pets eaten, you better vote for Trump,” he tweeted on Monday.
Soon enough, congressional Republicans were contributing to the virality of the claims. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas tweeted an image of two kittens, captioned, “Please vote for Trump so Haitian immigrants don’t eat us.” “Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio!” the Republican House Judiciary Committee’s X account shared alongside an AI image of former President Donald Trump hugging the two animals.
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance has also commented on the matter. “Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” he tweeted on Monday morning. “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?”
However, the Springfield, Ohio, police department confirmed Monday that it found “no credible reports” of immigrants—illegal or legal—harming or eating pets, and no evidence of other concerning illegal behavior. Karen Graves, the city’s strategic engagement manager, released the following statement on Monday:
In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community. Additionally, there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of residents’ homes. Furthermore, no reports have been made regarding members of the immigrant community deliberately disrupting traffic.
The most recent police blotter from the Springfield News-Sun shows that 20 people were indicted in Clark County last week, but mostly on drug charges or for theft or robbery. While there were no incidents of pet-eating or other forms of animal abuse in Springfield, Ohio, there was a recorded cat abuse-related incident in the state late last month—more than 150 miles away in Canton. According to the report, law enforcement arrested a 27-year old woman accused of killing and eating a cat in a residential neighborhood. Critically, there is no indication that the suspect was an immigrant.
Springfield city’s official website states that Haitian immigrants residing in the Ohio city are legal residents, and did not immigrate to the U.S. illegally. “Haitian immigrants are here legally, under the Immigration Parole Program,” the city states. “Once here, immigrants are then eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).” In January 2023, the Biden administration expanded parole eligibility for Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Cubans seeking to entry in the U.S., providing up to 30,000 migrants from those countries per month with residency in the U.S. for up to two years—granted they have an eligible sponsor and pass background and security checks. Under this program, Haitian immigrants are allowed to legally move to the U.S. and apply for temporary residency. TPS is granted to certain countries by the secretary of homeland security, if it is determined that migrants would face dangerous and unsafe conditions in returning to their origin country. Many Haitians settled in Springfield, Ohio—where companies reported labor shortages following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic—because of the city’s job availability.
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