PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – An influx of immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, became a presidential debating point on Tuesday night as former President Donald Trump repeated claims about migrant crime in the city that local officials have refuted.
During the first exchange of the ABC-hosted debate between Trump and the Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, the former president warned that immigrants are “coming in and taking jobs” occupied by racial minorities and unions. He claimed that millions of people are “pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums.”
“Unions are going to be affected very soon,” said Trump. “You see what’s happening with towns throughout the United States. You look at Springfield, Ohio, you look at Aurora in Colorado. They are taking over the towns. They’re taking over buildings. They’re going in violently.”
A few minutes later, Trump cited debunked claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are “eating the pets of the people that live there,” repeating the viral claims amplified by his vice presidential running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, and other Republicans.
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” said Trump. “This is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
Moderators of the debate pointed out that city officials in the central Ohio town have said “there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”
“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,” said a statement city officials sent cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer on Monday.
Trump expressed disbelief at the city’s statements, saying he saw someone on television who claimed their dog “was taken and used for food.” When the debate’s moderator reiterated that the city’s manager said “there’s no evidence of that,” Trump responded “We’ll find out.”
Harris laughed at Trump’s answer while her microphone was turned off, saying “What? This is unbelievable.”
When her microphone was turned back on, she quipped: “Talk about extreme.”
Republicans in Ohio and nationally who are using immigration as a campaign issue have seized on Springfield.
On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that he’s sending extra state law enforcement officers to Springfield to help the city deal with a surge in traffic problems he says are the result of an exploding migrant population.
DeWine also said he’s sending an extra $2.5 million to health officials in Springfield to pay for more primary care by doctors after he said the city’s rapid population growth has strained the existing medical system.
Springfield, a city of roughly 58,000 people, has been dealing for several years with a rapid influx of Haitian immigrants, which city officials estimate number as many as 15,000 people. The development drew national attention after Vance, an Ohio Republican, discussed it during a Senate Banking Committee hearing before he became Trump’s vice-presidential running mate.
On Monday, Vance went further in a social media post repeating the unsubstantiated claims about abducted pets.
After city official denied that immigrants have been stealing and eating pets, Vance posted on Tuesday that his office has received inquiries from Springfield residents who say their pets were taken by Haitian migrants.
“It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false,” he continued.
Ohio got another mention from Trump during the debate in response to a question about abortion. As Trump tried to explain his shifting position on abortion, he made mention of the vote in Ohio last year that enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution. “Ohio, the vote was somewhat liberal,” said Trump, who has won Ohio in the last two presidential elections by 8 percentage points. Voters approved the abortion amendment last year with 57% of the vote.
