“In Springfield, [los migrantes] They are eating the dogsthe people who have arrived, he is eating the catsis eating the pets of the people who live there,” Trump said, causing his rival to laugh. Harriswho described it as “extremist”. While debate moderators noted that city officials have said those claims are not true.
Last Monday, JD Vancewho is also Senator from Ohiocriticized on social media the presence of Haitian migrants undocumented in their state. “Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and causing general chaos in SpringfieldOhio. There are now reports showing that there are people who have seen their pets kidnapped and eaten by people who should not be in this country. “Where is our border czar?”wrote in X Vance, referring to the role of the vice president Harris in the government of the democrat Joe Biden.
The next day, Vance posted that his office had received inquiries from residents of Springfield that they said that “their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife had been kidnapped by Haitian immigrants”.
In addition, the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee posted an AI-generated image on social media showing Trump is seen protecting a cat and a duck with his arms.
Other personalities who have given credence to this conspiracy theory include Republican Senator Ted Cruz and billionaire Elon Musk.
Cruz posted a photo of kittens with a caption that read: We must vote for Trump “so that Haitian immigrants don’t eat us”.
Hours before Tuesday’s debate, Cross He posted two more photos: one showed Trump surrounded by cats and geese. The other was cats armed with MAGA hats.
Telemundo News recalled that in March, Musk and other prominent figures of the American right spread publications that They accused Haitian migrants of cannibalismusing old videos showing alleged attacks on people in Haiti.
On Tuesday, White House National Security Council spokesman, John Kirbylashed out at those comments for their “racist content“and said that Americans expect a “better level” from politicians.
“This language and this misinformation is dangerous because there are people who believe it, despite how ridiculous and stupid it is, and they may act on it and someone may get hurt. So it has to stop.”“, he warned.
The Springfield Police said in a statement that There have been no credible and detailed reports or allegations regarding the claims..
“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 department said Springfield.
Opinion…
Trump’s anti-immigrant speech and its effects
By Francisco Belaunde Matossian
International analyst
Whether or not it will serve Trump well to continue spreading the false news that immigrants eat pets in order to win over undecided voters, who are key at this stage of the campaign, would have to be measured in the polls. It seems to me that it will not serve him well, it will not have much effect.
In anti-immigrant rhetoric, what Donald Trump does is grab episodes that do occur, such as murders, rapes, and manipulate them in such a way to say that this is how immigrants are. That is typical of those who want to spread this rhetoric. But in this case he goes further, because he grabs an episode that is denied to impress voters. But I repeat, it will not have much effect. In any case, Those who are already supporters of Donald Trump believe that kind of thing..
If you look at Trump’s career, he lies all the time. The American media that have analysed his speech have come to the conclusion that he is one of the politicians who lies the most. In his case, the lies reach grotesque and absurd dimensions, which make no sense at all, and he also tends to exaggerate. To what extent is this a tactic or is he just like that? We don’t know. It could be a mixture of both.
From now until the end of the campaign, the Republicans will continue to exploit the anti-immigrant issue, taking into account that Kamala Harris She was tasked by Biden to deal with the border in her capacity as vice president. They are going to continue attacking her there.
What is the origin of this statement?
The lie repeated byr Trump relies on viral videos and photographs of incidents involving animals in Ohio published in recent weeks. But These images were distorted by Republicans to attack immigrants, the channel noted Telemundo News.
One of the videos that went viral in social networks shows footage from a police body camera Cantonwhich is almost 300 kilometers away from Springfieldwhich shows the arrest of a woman who attacked a cat and was eating it. The incident occurred on August 16.
The detained woman was identified as Allexis Ferrell27 years old, of American nationalityCanton police reported.
Telemundo News reported that Ferrell He faces charges of violating laws relating to companion animals, as well as animal cruelty and inappropriate conduct. Bail was set at $100,000.
“The suspect in this case She is an American citizen who has lived in Ohio for quite some time.. His first charges were in 2011. He may have lived here all his life, but I cannot confirm this. This incident has no relation to SpringfieldOhio”a police spokesman told NBC News.
Another image that has been used by Republicans to spread falsehoods against the community. Haitian immigrants in Springfield shows a black man walking down a street with a dead goose in his hand. The photo was taken in the city of ColumbusOhio, and there is no evidence that the man killed the animal or that he is an immigrant, Noticias Telemundo noted.
The photographer who took and posted the image spoke to reporters. He asked that his identity not be revealed because he fears retaliation. He said he was on his way to shop at Costco on July 28 when he saw the man with the canadian goose in his hand and He stopped to photograph it because he thought it was a funny scene, Telemundo News reported.
Interviewed by NBC News, the photographer said that I didn’t know if the goose was killed or if it died of natural causes.and He also doesn’t know if the man carrying it was an immigrant or not.But he said he was not happy with the way other people misused his photo.
“DI wish I had never taken it, no doubt.. And I hate that the photograph I took is being used as a weapon against immigrants or any other group for that matter. They always have to have someone to use as a weapon. Some group that is the bad guy.”the photographer told the local newspaper The Columbus Dispatch.
The photographer insisted that he posted the image on the social network Reddit because he thought it was a funny scene, very typical of Ohio, where geese are abundant and some consider them a nuisance.
On Wednesday, the administrator of SpringfieldBryan Heck, repudiated the falsehoods that have promoted the Republicans and said that the expansion of the workforce that has occurred with the arrival of immigrants “has supported the expansion of local businesses, contributing to the stabilization of our local economy”.
According to the AP agency, Springfielda city of approximately 60,000 inhabitants, has seen its Haitian population grow in recent yearsThere is no specific number of Haitians residing in the city, but it is estimated that the entire county has an immigrant population of 15,000 people.
The authorities of Springfield They also said that the Haitian immigrants They are in the country legally under a federal program that allows them to remain in the United States temporarily.
Last month, AP noted, President Biden’s administration granted eligibility for temporary legal status to about 300,000 Haitians who were already in the United States because conditions in Haiti are considered unsafe for them to return due to the chaos generated by gangs.