Scandal in Springfield, Ohio: Complaints about Haitian immigrants on the rise

Springfield, Ohio, has been at the center of the border crisis debate for days. This Monday, the controversy took on a bizarre new twist: reports began surfacing that the Haitian population is eating wild animals and pets.

One image, which quickly went viral, appears to show an immigrant with a bird in his hand walking through the streets of the city. At a City Commission meeting late last month, a resident who identified himself as Anthony Harris had said he saw how there were Haitians in the parks, "grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking away with them … and eating them."

J.D. Vance, a senator from Ohio and GOP vice presidential candidate, echoed the criticism: "Where is our border czar?" he asked, referring to Kamala Harris, and recalled that months ago he had already raised "the issue of illegal Haitian immigrants draining social services and sowing chaos throughout Springfield." 

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk also opined on the controversy, saying that it was "another gift of the Biden-Harris mass immigration replacement plan. … Liberals will soon be lecturing Americans on why they need to be sensitive to Haitian culture and accept this as the new normal."

Police denied reports of stolen animals, The Springfield News-Sun reported. The city's website, in a section on immigration, notes that "Haitian immigrants are here legally, under the Immigration Parole Program."

In that regard, Donald Trump Jr. recalled that the government, less than three months ago, "blocked 300k unvetted Haitian Migrants from being deported out of our country. … Today, those unvetted migrants are sucking up precious resources and destroying Springfield, Ohio."

A progressive crisis

Local authorities estimate there are more than 20,000 Haitians, mostly arrivals since the pandemic, among the population tallied at 58,000.

Controversy erupted in August 2023, when a roadside incident ended in the death of 11-year-old Aiden Clark. Hermanio Joseph, a 36-year-old Haitian immigrant, was found guilty of manslaughter. He did not have a driver's license.

The fatal crash was followed by emotional testimonies to local authorities, such as that of Anthony Harris. Videos of these residents' complaints also went viral.

In one, for example, a woman says that there were non-English speaking men in her front yard, yelling at her and throwing trash at her. "Look at me, I weigh 95 pounds, I couldn't defend myself if I had to," she added before telling how her husband, after 45 years living in the same home, told her it was time "to pack up":

In July of this year, City Manager Bryan Heck sent a letter to Senators Tim Scott and Sherrod Brown asking for urgent federal help: "Springfield has seen a surge in population through immigration that has significantly impacted our ability as a community to produce enough housing opportunities for all."

The New York Times recognized this impact earlier this month, noting how it had worsened the problem of housing inaccessibility, public health access (doctors having to juggle communicating with non-English-speaking patients in 45-minute consultations that would normally be resolved in 15) and an increase in students in public schools that worries administrators.

Flood of memes

The most recent episode of the crisis in Springfield, allegations of missing and eaten pets, led to a series of memes and posts in favor of Donald Trump and criticizing the Biden-Harris administration: