What’s behind the false claims being spread about Haitian migrants in Ohio
Springfield, Ohio, has been thrust into the political spotlight this election year as Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance repeated baseless claims that Haitian immigrants in the small town are abducting and eating people’s pets.
Local officials have debunked the claim, telling PBS News there has been no uptick in crime related to Haitian residents and they have not seen any reports of people’s pets being kidnapped.
Vance, the junior senator from Ohio, said his office received reports, but acknowledged it’s possible “these rumors will turn out to be false,” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Springfield’s population has grown in the last four years by more than 20 percent, driven nearly entirely by immigration. An estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians now live in the city. PBS News’ William Brangham went to Springfield to report on the community.
This video was produced by Casey Kuhn, Mary Fecteau, Yasmeen Alamiri, Steff Staples and Julia Griffin.
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