A story about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, killing and eating household pets went viral last weekend after Ohio Sen. JD Vance posted on X about it. He said that “people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”
The 20,000 Haitians who arrived in Springfield over the last three years are legal — sort of. They arrived under a program known as immigration parole, which allows individual immigrants into the country under "special circumstances." It was meant to be an exception to the rule.
Biden admits 30,000 "exceptions" a month from Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba under the immigration parole program. So the Springfield Haitians are the product of Joe Biden giving his middle finger to the Constitution.
According to local police, Vance is incorrect in saying that the Haitians are catching, killing, and eating house pets.
“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,” the police said in a statement emailed to NBC News.
"Credible reports"? Vance made the accusation of Haitians eating pets after a "high volume of complaints" from residents were sent to his office.
“Many residents have contacted Senator Vance to share their concerns over crime and traffic accidents, and to express that they no longer feel safe in their own homes,” the spokesperson said. “JD takes his constituents’ concerns seriously."
At a recent city council meeting, several residents gave council members an earful.
Springfield, Ohio woman says homeless Haitians are trying to camp out on her front yard, says she “wants out of this town.”
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 9, 2024
“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… pic.twitter.com/eShzG8grC1
Sorry, ma'am, but your own police department says you're imagining things.
“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 police said.
One resident said that the Haitians were going to a local park to catch and kill ducks and geese.
"Haitians are in the park grabbing ducks, cutting the heads off, and eating them"
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 8, 2024
Springfield resident to City Council: pic.twitter.com/aZLsOT8v2b
"I really challenge you guys to get out here and do something," he told the meeting. "These Haitians are running into trash cans, running into buildings... they're flipping cars in the middle of the streets."
The man added, "They're in the park, grabbing up ducks by their neck, and cutting their head off and walking off with them. They're eating them."
"I think it's sad that some people are using this as an opportunity to spread hate or spread fear," Springfield Deputy Director of Public Safety and Operations Jason Via told NPR. "We get these reports, 'the Haitians are killing ducks in a lot of our parks' or 'the Haitians are eating vegetables right out of the aisle at the grocery store.'"
"And we haven't really seen any of that. It's really frustrating. As a community, it's not helpful as we try to move forward."
What's that you say?
Haitian migrant wanders around the streets of Springfield, Ohio carrying a dead goose after killing it at a local park. pic.twitter.com/9JUy7qTSsp
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) September 9, 2024
The real problem is that these immigrants came to Springfield with little or no warning to city officials, which has put a tremendous strain on health, education, and other city services that can't handle the influx.
Immigrants from Haiti have poured into Springfield the last five years, and the estimates grow monthly, with city officials now saying the number could be 15,000 to 20,000 new residents among a population that had numbered just under 60,000 prior.
The number of immigrants has strained city government, health care, schools, social services and nonprofits trying to provide assistance.
...Mayor Rob Rue told residents at the last commission meeting the city did not know about the possibility of a large immigrant population coming but said a “network of businesses knew what was coming.”
He said the city’s Immigrant Accountability Response Team that formed last fall has discovered the possibility companies “knew they were going to make an effort to bring in individuals who were crossing the border.”
“Springfield is now saturated,” said Mayor Rue.
Related: Is Crime Rising or Falling? It May Be Falling Arrest Rates that Have People Worried
Naturally, the media is focusing on Sen. Vance's charge about pets being eaten by Haitian immigrants. But the media never bothered to look at the entire issue: the impact of the immigrants on a small city,
That's where the real news story is.
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