Donald Trump, MAGA 'Eating Pets' Rumor Sparks Fear for Springfield Haitians

Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are considering leaving the city over unfounded claims some have been eating pets and livestock, adding to a growing backlash against immigrant communities.

The rumors, which city officials have debunked, were picked up by leading Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, his running mate, JD Vance, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

"This one is very troubling because this is not just about one group of people; it's about the human race," Marc FeQuiere, the executive director of the Haitian Community Network in Ohio, told Newsweek. "How can you accuse a human of such crimes?

"It's very troubling. It upsets me, and it frustrates me."

From happiness to despair

FeQuiere, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, said he had spoken to numerous Haitians living in Springfield in recent days. Those phone calls had left him worried for their safety.

"It's a completely different feeling from a couple of weeks ago when I was in Springfield visiting a couple of people who had just opened up a new restaurant over there. It was a very happy time. The community came together," he said. "This week, it's despair."

Springfield has seen a surge in its population in recent years, with Haitians making up a large proportion of that growth. The city estimates between 12,000 and 15,000 migrants have arrived, many of them legally.

That growth has caused unrest, with several longtime residents complaining about increases in traffic and raising concerns over safety.

Then rumors started over the past few weeks that Haitian migrants had eaten a pet cat, were stealing dogs and even going after livestock, which the city's leaders denied to Newsweek earlier this week.

FeQuiere said that despite the denials, there is growing unrest from those who have tried to make Springfield their home.

"People are scared now and they're calling me, and they want to leave the city. They are trying to sell whatever they have and leave the city," he said.

"Today, I think most people didn't even send their kids to school, and they are afraid to go out. All the phone calls are the same."

'Incessant group of hate-spewing people'

At a Tuesday City Commission meeting, officials addressed the issue of a woman reportedly eating a cat in Canton, Ohio. The suspect is an American citizen.

Officials also said they had heard concerns over alleged driving offenses by immigrants, as well as pressures on schools and health care facilities.

The meeting then heard from Nathan Clark, whose son, Aiden, was killed in August 2023 when the school bus he was in collided with a minivan driven by a Haitian migrant.

Aiden was thrown from the bus and died from his injuries, but Vance said earlier this week that the boy had been murdered.

"My son was not murdered," Nathan Clark told the meeting on Tuesday. "He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti.

"This tragedy is felt all over this community, the state and even the nation, but don't spend this towards hate."

Clark said the use of his son's name in targeting migrants had to stop, saying he wished Aiden had been "killed by a 60-year-old white man."

"If that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone," Clark added, asking that his son's name to not be used as a "political tool."

Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: "We hope the media will continue to cover the stories of the very real suffering and tragedies experienced by the people of Springfield, Ohio which have been largely ignored by the liberal mainstream media until now.

"While the media may find these stories and experiences unimportant and inconvenient, President Trump will continue giving a voice to Americans who are expressing their concerns about the influx of illegals and rising migrant crime in their communities."

Haitians are fearful to stay in their new home

Clark's pleas didn't stop some residents from taking the podium at the City Commission meeting to voice concerns about the "influx" of migrants in the city, with one calling it a "culture shock."

Others did voice their concerns about the rhetoric being used by their neighbors, thanking city officials for their work in trying to help new arrivals and those whose families have lived in Springfield for generations.

"It's really sad that we want to treat people like that," resident Charlie Fenceman said at the meeting. "If you haven't seen them killing no ducks, if you haven't seen them stealing nothing, don't make no accusations. All that does is start an avalanche."

That avalanche has included AI-generate images of Trump saving pets and ducks, along with members of the GOP blaming Vice President Kamala Harris for the situation in the town and other communities across the United States.

FeQuiere told Newsweek this was nothing new for Haitians, that a story like this appeared to come up every election cycle and adds to a feeling of never being accepted by others.

He said that data showed migrants had, in fact, reinvigorated Springfield, which had struggled in recent years with business closures and a declining population.

Haitians had fled their home country and those in Central and Southern America, hoping for a better life in the U.S.

"Now they are becoming more economically independent, they're building their own businesses, they are buying homes, they are investing in the community," FeQuiere said. "And that scares those who claim Springfield belongs to them."

FeQuiere added that he understood why this might be the case, but that locals should embrace those trying to make their city better.

Analysis by Reuters showed the impact of migrants in the city, with rising rents and an increase in home building, but also pressures on federal benefit claims.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced $2.5 million in funding for primary care access and an increased state trooper presence in the city to ease the pressure.

"I want the people of Springfield and Clark County to know that as we move forward, we will continue to do everything we can to help the community deal with this surge of migrants," DeWine said in a press release Wednesday.

"The federal government has not demonstrated that they have any kind of plan to deal with the issue. We will not walk away."

FeQuiere said this was "putting gas on the fire," as it appeared to back up claims that migrants were a problem in Springfield and could add to the anti-Haitian feeling from locals.

"That's what I am hearing from people who live next to those who don't want them there," he said. "They're hearing, 'You came over here, you're taking up our resources, and now the Governor just wants to baby you.'"

"It's not helping the situation. It's making the Haitian community more fearful and want to run for their lives."

Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com