Vance magnifies false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio - ABC News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Springfield's city manager pushed back against the claims.
By Hannah DemissieSeptember 9, 2024, 9:22 PM
GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance on Monday magnified a false claim that Haitian immigrants are abducting and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
In a post on X, Vance published a video of himself at a July Senate Banking Committee hearing, reading a letter from Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck about the city's challenges in keeping up with housing for the growing Haitian immigrant population.
In the post, Vance pushed the false claim that Haitian immigrants are kidnapping and eating people's pets in Springfield.
"Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio," Vance wrote on X. "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?" he asked, a term that Republicans have attempted to tag Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris with, although she has denied holding that role.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance speaks to reporters in front of the border wall with Mexico in San Diego, Calif., Sep. 06, 2024 .Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
But Heck debunked those claims about Springfield in a statement to ABC News.
"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," Heck said in his statement.
"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."
According to the Springfield News-Sun, the Springfield Police Department has not received any reports of pets being stolen and eaten.
The false claim that immigrants are targeting people's pets stemmed from a social media posting originally from a Springfield Facebook group that went viral, where the poster wrote that their neighbor's daughter's friend had lost her cat. The poster went on to make an unsubstantiated claim of Haitians allegedly taking the cat for food.
The post was picked up by people on social media, including rightwing activist Turning Points' Charlie Kirk and Elon Musk.
Republican vice presidential nominee Senator J.D. Vance speaks at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Ariz., Sep. 5, 2024.Go Nakamura/Reuters
Springfield, Ohio, has been at the center of several rumors concerning Haitian immigrants. The city even created a webpage debunking some claims.
Migrants have been drawn to the region because of low cost of living and work opportunities, the city says on its site. The city estimates there are around 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants living in the county, and that the rapid rise in population has strained housing, health care, and school resources. But the city also says that the migrants are in the country legally and that many are recipients of Temporary Protected Status from the federal government.
On Monday, Ohio Attorney General David Yost said the population in Springfield has grown by more than a third. In a statement, he announced he's directing his office to "research legal avenues to stop the federal government from sending an unlimited number of migrants to Ohio communities."
"The problem is not migrants, it is way, way too many migrants in a short period of time," Yost said in his statement. "The problem is a massive increase in the population without any communication or assistance from the federal government."
A spokesperson for Vance did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
ABC's Armando Garcia contributed to this report.
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They just keep getting weirder and weirder
I would have made Trump Moe (ringleader) and Vance Larry (sidekick). RFK Jr. as Curly (quirky) is correct.
RFK Jr would definitely be Shemp...
Shemp or Curly. RFK Jr. works well as the third stooge who tends to be the quirky comic relief.
See, I would rate Kamala as a sidekick (Larry) and Walz (as a Curly, for sure) as "quirky". Perhaps that's the problem, the Democrat Party has no ringleader?.....
Nah,..... that's not possible
don't sell yourself short, it's as funny as all your other stuff ...
Indeed
Eating pets....that's a new low even for the trmp campaign
Sounds like something RFK, Jr. would do.
MAGA just keep getting weirder and weirder...
They're maga mental midget weirdos
after it was run over
Didn't he himself claim that he had a worm eating his brain?
It's Donald's thing. . . to 'strike out or back' at those who hit him with the truth (which he does not like). Now then, this fool Vance got stuck with labeling childless people as "cat-ladies" and now the 'return' is a lie about democrats supporting immigrants eating the family pet and park animals.
Trumpists are WEIRD!
didn't maga say that immigrants were spreading leprosy before the last election? ... or was it the one before?
Actually, it was Covid and true
The fucking morons tried making all US citizens get vaccinated while allowing millions of illegals into the country without being vaccinated and no mandate for them to get vaccinated. What the hell kind of sense does that make?
Except that Americans were spreading it further and faster than any immigrants.
‘didn't maga say that immigrants were spreading leprosy before the last election? ... or was it the one before? ‘
Simply just making up shit again. For most on the left, it is called another day that ends in Y
Source: he saw it on tv.
A former president. . . getting his so-called, "official policy' information from a television screen. . .and going out and giving misinformation to his public! A crying shame. Of course, trumpists do not see it as a problem. . .to them, it's more of a moment of. . . "but Donald. . . .!"
Just like how he read that Harris is black now.
She summed it up perfectly when she described his campaign as a “tragedy.” It absolutely is.
50 illegal aliens go to Martha's Vineyard and progressives declare a crisis.
20,000 Haitians are sent to a small town and a kid dies as a result, and the media is silent and pretends whether an allegation is proven or not is somehow definitive of whether a problem exists.
Soon the area will be humans only-- all the pets will have been eaten!
(Except probably Gila Monsters-- they are safe from being eaten by hungry immigrants!)
Gila Monster (Actual Photo):
Seriously-- if you were a hungry immigrant, would you want to eat one of these?
JDVance is even nuttier than we first thought!
Hey Krishna,. . .these words above strung together are on reflection. . . impotent and empty.
Correct.
(Yes-- that was my intention!
)
Is this what passes for logic today? A boy died a year ago in a traffic accident when one (1!) Haitian immigrant crashed his minivan into a school bus. He’s in prison now.
Based on that, you figure all 20,000 immigrants led to his death?
I mean thank GOD that native born white people never crash their cars or we’d have a shitload of traffic deaths in this country. Just imagine: the death toll every year could approach 40-45,000.
Yes that's how logic works. If he wasn't flown here, the boy would almost certainly still be alive
e people never crash their cars or we’d have a shitload of traffic deaths in this country. Just imagine: the death toll every year could approach 40-45,000.
Just imagine not knowing the difference between citizens and non-citizens.
Well you haven’t demonstrated a relevant difference, so who cares what you imagine?
Meanwhile, logical observers are flabbergasted that you can’t see the difference between 1 and 20,000. Or between 1 and 40,000.
Isolationism does not work in the United States. A nation build on other nations' cast-offs and people resources. . . can't afford to grow its own cocoon and never venture forth! Turning the United States into a 'transactional' country won't work either. Our citizenry is constructed from those of other nations. . . and therefore, the big 'ask' from other nations will always be a thing for us.
Our citizenry is constructed from those of other nations. . . and therefore, the big 'ask' from other nations will always be a thing for us.
Hey CB. . .these words above strung together are on reflection. . . impotent and empty.
.
“Look what you’ve done to us, we have to get up here and beg you to stop,” Nathan Clark the father of Aiden, the boy who was killed in the accident, said with Aiden’s mother standing next to him. “Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose.”
Clark added that he wished his son was killed by a “60-year-old white man.”
“And I bet you never thought someone would say something so blunt,” he said. “But if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone.”
“They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members,” Clark said. “However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”
Father of boy killed by Haitian immigrant condemns Trump (ny1.com)
Shame on the sniveling wastes of space who have used this sad accident to spread their vile racist hate speech. Clearly if it were a 60 year old white man who had this accident in a vehicle not one of these slime bag Trump supporters would give a shit about this family or their son.
This is so stupid, I had to go twice.
1 school kid dies in a traffic accident and wannabe conservatives declare a national emergency, blame an entire group of legal immigrants, want to close the border, and change government. Sweeping, urgent changes. Ok.
But 10-20 or more school kids die in school shootings multiple times each year, and conservatives call it a fact of life. We shouldn’t make any changes to law, policies, or politicians as a result. Just pray and maybe pass out more guns.
MFing priorities. There they are.
Here's a "logical" idea....pass out guns to the students!
do I really need a sarcasm tag?
The 20,0000 Haitians on valid work permits were requested by multiple employers in Springfield OH several years ago.
They were welcome and still are welcome according to County officials.
The problem seems to be getting them all to get valid drivers licenses and stop driving as if they were in Hati, ie on the wrong side of the road.
Sounds like the problem is, that once again, the majority population (white), is oppressing the minority population, with it's ideas of social norms.
Funny how the Trump admin closed ranks to protect Anne Sacoolas, the white wife of an American diplomat, when she apparently killed a young 19 year old British man while she drove on the wrong side of the road in England.
The DoJ refused to extradite the woman, she eventually plead guilty to careless driving, sentenced to 8 months in British jail, suspended for 12 months, all by video conference.
The Haitian, still incarcerated, faces potentially 9 years in prison in Ohio for involuntary manslaughter.
That is LoL funny. Was it atypical behavior for any administration when a diplomat or their family member is facing trial in a foreign country?
This is the only time The UK has been denied a US extradition. The UK on the other hand refused us 24 times because we still have the death penalty option.
Sacoolas was also "rumored" to be a CIA agent.
Springfield resident to City Council:
"Haitians are in the park grabbing ducks, cutting the heads off, and eating them"
It's all Trump's fault though....
What we know about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio
by: Mark Feuerborn
Posted: Sep 9, 2024
NBC4 reached out to the City of Springfield to hear their take on allegations of animals being eaten. An official could not answer any specific questions, citing an influx of media inquiries, but did share a statement.
“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,” a Springfield spokeswoman wrote. “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 Springfield Police Division corroborated the city’s account, telling the Springfield News-Sun that officers had not received any local reports of pets being stolen or eaten. Investigators said the viral story originated in a Springfield Facebook group, where the poster referenced a neighbor’s daughter’s friend finding her cat hanging from a branch at a Haitian neighbor’s home.
nbc4i
I don't find that too disturbing-- after all Ducks shit all over the place!
What worries me if when those ravnous Haitians start eating our beloeved pets,
Dog, Cats, gerbils, Guinea Pigs (which, depsite their name, are not actual Pigs)
Rumor has it theit some of the hungrier Haitians actually bereak into homes and eat your beloved pet Goldfishes.
No pet is save from these hungry Haitians!
I remember when they used to eat live goldfish in college... the ultimate in freshness
Have you ever seen a Haitian Hotdog?
It's not entirelyTrump's fault-- because both he and JDVance are spreading this absurd rumor!
Springfield, Ohio woman says homeless Haitians are trying to camp out on her front yard, says she “wants out of this town.”
“I have men that cannot speak English in my front yard, screaming at me, throwing mattresses in my front yard.” “Look at me, I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn't defend myself if I had to. My husband is elderly.”
“I don't understand what you expect of us as citizens. I understand they're here under temporary protected status and you're protecting them, and I understand that our city services are overwhelmed and understaffed, but who's protecting us?”
Blame Trump...
Well, there are rumours (as yet unconfirmed) that in addition to eating pet dogs, cats (and even cute little Gerbils!) on occasion some of them are particularly fond of taking a few bites out of any nearby elderly husbands!
You left out the worst part--- they are eating up all of our beloved pets!
From months ago, here's the mayor and City manager detailing all the strain the massive immigrant influx put on the City.
But progressives keep pretending it's all made up.
The predictable response....
Your line of bullshit about Springfield Ohio is officially debunked!
They are all legal immigrants who filled many open jobs a few years ago.
Most speak English, like British English.
A County commissioner said their main gripe isn't how many Pekinese they eat, it's getting valid driver's licenses and driving on the correct side of the road.
Ever since Fox came into existence right wingers have just been making up lies based on fear of the other. The constant gushing of hate from the far right is sickening.
Autopsies have shown that right wingers and mass murderers have overly enlarged amygdala (the fear center of the brain) that makes them more vulnerable to fear mongering politicians.
Exactly, no one had heard of political lies before then.
But progressives keep pretending it's all made up.
Nonsense! Its a well known fact thet Haitians don't wear any make-up when their out prowling for pets to eat!
(If they were all made up, the colours--especially the bright Red lipstick) would give them away!)
Trumpists fear-mongering compounded by lies, lies, and more lies! We can't trust Donald and his trumpists! Lies, Lies! Lies!
Is that an NFT? How stupid.
Rumours to the contrary not withstanding, there is absolutley no truth to the widespread rumor that Trump wants to eat your pets!
Warning: Trump may be trying to look good in photo (comment 7) but once we lower our guard he will eat them all up-- every last one!
He's no St, Frances of Assisi-- that act of his is becoming very stale!
Vance probably enabled their way in to eat up all the cats.
Vance should be happy about someone eating cats. No cats, no angry cat ladies... Sounds like MAGA logic.
WWTSS?
Vance probably enabled their way in to eat up all the cats.
WWTSS?
(What Would Taylor Swift Say?)
And Taylor Swift is not amused!!!
Springfield, Ohio, man reported Haitian migrants snatching geese out of park just 2 weeks ago
We've seen this before. It doesn't matter how many people say say they've seen something, how much documentation etc...
Unless they get a video with an immigrant holding up a notarized affidavit documenting his identity catching and eating a goose on tape they'll claim there is zero evidence.
And if such a video ever surfaces, they'll say "of course immigrants are catching geese in the park and eating them.It's a great thing!"
The Geese were obviously racist trump supporters and had it coming.
Some rando on X isn't going to cut it, but a simple verified police report might help your case.
There is no official documentation of these happenings according to the officials in charge. . . so, there is a hear-say issue involved.
And, yes, unofficially people do a lot of dumb one-offs when authorities are not looking. . .but, of course, officially it has not occurred. So there is nothing that can be done until such time as appropriate.
What is ridiculous is for a presidential candidate and former president (who should know better) to make an assertion against immigrants for the sake of expediency, without any official documentation to rest the allegation.
That comment is a straw-man argument. It has not been proven by officials that any reportable cases of animals being killed and eaten by immigrants has occurred. Thus, this can not rise to the level of racism and racists acts/actions.
It's detailed above.
I see no official police report of anything - detailed or otherwise. Post it if you've got it.
Lol.
Follow the links....
If you guys can't back up your claims when asked I'm not hunting through the whole to find something that's most likely doesn't support your claim anyway. If you have it post it to this conversation otherwise we're done.
You know... like this:
Good grief...
Thanks. That's all I was asking. 4 Unknown, probably Hattians took some geese, but not cats and dogs? That's good to know. Hopefully they will find and prosecute the goose thieves.
Click,click...
Why do you mention cats and dogs? Yes, hopefully they do.
That's the claim made last night in the debate. The article only says pets. I suppose pets might include 4 geese... The report doesn't say pets or livestock, not that that's a huge distinction when your ripped off.
They should have send some of those Haitans here - there are geese shitting everywhere up here running wild in our parks.
Goose shit is a big problem in this area in cemeteries and on golf courses.
Depends on the state I guess-- eating Gooses in not illegal in most jurisdictions!
Do the residents complain?
No definitely not, however I think there's probably regulations about how you harvest them.
Here, too. We have a gaggle that come over to my building then make their way back across the street to the park
No one really stole anything. I saw an article last night after leaving work stating they were wild park geese (right wing leaning NY Post). That explains why there wasn't any follow up. The cops have better things to do that worry about missing nuisance geese.
Yes there are state and local hunting restrictions that were probably broken and subject to fines. But no one stole any pets for dinner.
Canada Geese are unfortunately protected by Federal Law, especially goslings and nests.
How gives a fuck if someone 'harvested' some wild geese?
They're tasty.
Every year, thousands of white men get dressed up like green berets and go shoot a bunch of birds, and it’s a heart-warming example of American tradition. But if an immigrant of color does it, it’s like eating live babies.
Which is legal?
Do they have a hunting license? is it Goose or duck season? not sure when cat season starts.
I have no idea. But the legality of it - or anything else - has not been the focus of the accusations leveled at the Haitians. It has been more about painting them as inhuman monsters, whose bizarre behaviors are a threat to decent people everywhere.
I know around here, we are all about cat season, but then we have some of that dirty immigrant blood in us.
JD should be happy with the Haitians striking back at the Cat Ladies.
Yes, humans develop deep seated cultural prohibitions against killing some animals and not others. Thus hunting puppies= repulsive. Hunting wild hogs= Good.
By all means, go down to your local park and start killing the geese. I'm sure no one will care because you aren't Haitian.
Whether they care, or not care; whether there are laws broken or not; this does NOT rise to the claim of people stealing pets and eating cats and dogs. Were the conversation framed honestly at the beginning there would be less push back and argument.
I want this to be playable now in Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter.
Haitian Immigrant vs. Cat Lady . . . FIGHT!
Do you understand that law enforcement in Ohio is saying there is zero evidence of this happening at all?
2 callers claimed immigrants were taking geese from a Springfield park; ODNR found no evidence
Was something preventing these “witnesses” from taking a picture?
You embrace this fictional narrative because you eagerly accept the idea that these “dirty ferriners” are prowling the town, killing and eating animals in a way that moral humans would find offensive. It’s xenophobic prejudice. It’s the same impulse as when people assume a person of color in their neighborhood is up to no good, but they wouldn’t think twice when they see a white stranger.
Maybe I'm a sicko but I have zero problems with anybody taking out a Canada goose for supper
I hear ya. I wouldn’t care, either. In the same way, I don’t care when native people in the arctic kill a whale. Do what you gotta do.
The problem here is it’s not even about that. A sick few are trying to dehumanize a whole group so they have some “enemy” to rally against.
These Geese were fooling everyone!
Everyone thought they were White-- and now suddenly people are revealing they were Black Geese all along!
(The Geese were fooling everyone-- sneaky, and not fair!!!)
Emphatically. Demonization, 'otherization,' and outgrouping is what is happening here. In fact, it's done with 'smoking' lies coming off the lips of biased individuals.
o you understand that law enforcement in Ohio is saying there is zero evidence of this happening at all
Lol. There's no evidence! Except here's evidence...
Try and pay a little respect to the english language.
as something preventing these “witnesses” from taking a picture?
Who knows? Do you imagine only events that are recorded are real? Is that the new standard?
ou embrace this fictional narrative because you eagerly
You are just pronouncing 911 calls fictional because they don't fit your bias. You should recognize that.
" Why do you dehumanize Haitians?"
"Because we can"
I didn’t say the calls were fictional. The calls were real. Whether the callers were truthful is another matter.
And it has nothing to do with any bias of mine - although I will concede that I try to assume people are generally good. If that’s a bias, so be it. It’s a better bias than believing without evidence that people are eating cats, dogs, geese, or whatever.
As I said - and linked - law enforcement tasked with investigating the calls found no evidence that the allegations were true. You are disregarding that fact because of your bias - the need to demonize people who you perceive are not like you.
They do it because it’s politically useful. Nothing unites and energizes people in common cause like a common enemy. It’s tragic that they do it to good people who are no threat to them.
Easy-peasy. . . REPORT IT AND LET THE OFFICIALS TAKE CARE OF IT as they are charged to do. We can't just accept so-called, 'vigilantism alleged happenings' into the official stream of consciousness - facts are documentable! Anybody can allege anything.
No report it didn't happen. So that's how you claim "crime is down".
It is impossible to file a silent 'non-reportable' report.
No report it didn't happen. So that's how you claim "crime is down".
Don't claim anything about crime. And, don't know what crime (that has not been reported to authorities) has to do with this. Especially since none is officially reported.
I can believe it!
In fact a friend of mine who lives in Florida reported Haitian immigrants snatching Alligators our of waterways just 1 week ago!
I personally (even if hungry) would not want to approach an Alligator and try to eat it!
But then again--as the olde saying goes:
There's no accounting for taste!
(Pun intended!
)
Seem’s none of you folks have ever been to “Petite Haiti” for some of the fine Creole food, I’ve eaten there many times and have never been able to order dog or cat but some tasty griot and black rice with djondjon.
I admit I'm not a fan of Creole cooking in general.
What!!!!!! OMG, I'm shocked, to much time in the midwest.
Take a trip to New Orleans. You can get Creole and Cajun. Both tasty
I luv that food and the muisca !!
Lavi Bon, SP.
Swing that partner round and round Yehaaaaaaw
Probably. LMAO! We use butter as a spice up here. I just had some Spicy Korean steak with noodles earlier this week and I couldn't even finish it. I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy.
My wife has put that on our trip wish list. She wants to do one of those crayfish boils.
I like the music... but I'd rather stick with meat and potatoes.. well the Cajun do like their sausage... that's yummy.
Mud bugs are mighty tasty. Don't just stop with the tail meat but giv dem heads a slo, steady suk, dats the tastiest.
Ga rone tee
And that is as wrong as Hattians eating peoples' cats. killing for sport is disgusting IMO.
well someone had to post this one , have to be a certain age to get it though .
Especially cats!!
You got something against cats? Miss Charlene is not pleased
I remember that show fondly. I can still watch it on one of my streaming services