Are immigrants in Springfield, Ohio eating cats and dogs? City officials say no
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets, repeating during a televised debate the type of inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric he has promoted throughout his campaigns.
There is no evidence that Haitian immigrants in an Ohio community are doing that, officials say. But during the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump specifically mentioned Springfield, Ohio, the town at the center of the claims, saying that immigrants were taking over the city.
"They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there," he said.
Harris called Trump "extreme" and laughed after his comment. Debate moderators pointed out that city officials have said the claims are not true.
Trump’s comments echoed claims made by his campaign, including his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and other Republicans. The claims attracted attention this week when Vance posted the following statement on X:
"Months 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?" Vance wrote.
The City of Springfield says that the thousands of Haitian immigrants residing in Clark County are in the country legally. Vance acknowledged Tuesday it was possible "all of these rumors will turn out to be false."
How the rumors started
The rumors started when a post on X went viral. The post included what appeared to be a screenshot of a message shared in a Springfield community Facebook group.
The screenshot showed a photo of a Black man holding an animal, though it was not sourced or verified. The post claimed that pets and local animals were going missing, but that has since been debunked.
However, before it was debunked, it racked up hundreds of thousands of views and thrusted the city of Springfield into the national immigration debate.
Why are so many Haitian immigrants heading to Springfield, Ohio?
The influx of Haitian immigrants into the community of Springfield has stretched its resources, particularly in areas like public safety, healthcare and housing, according to the City of Springfield's website.
The city says there are approximately 12,000-15,000 immigrants in the Clark County area, based on data from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Springfield City Schools, and other agencies.
The Haitian immigrants are in the country legally, many under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the city says. Immigrants are able to enter the United States under the Immigration Parole Program, before they begin applying for TPS.
TPS, as described by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration, is offered to immigrants from certain countries which may be facing things like ongoing armed conflicts. Haiti is on the list for TPS until February of 2026.
During a designated period, individuals who are TPS beneficiaries or who are found preliminarily eligible for TPS upon initial review of their cases (prima facie eligible):
- Are not removable from the United States
- Can obtain an employment authorization document (EAD)
- May be granted travel authorization
TPS status does not automatically convert to asylum or refugee status after that country is no longer listed. However, immigrants granted TPS are given a longer period of time to seek asylum, and they can still apply for other immigration options.
Journalists with The Associated Press contributed to this report.