Springfield, Ohio church offers support to Haitian immigrants

A small Ohio town is in the national spotlight after false claims were made that Haitian immigrants were eating their neighbors’ pets in the community.

Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have falsely accused people in the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, of abducting and eating cats and dogs. Trump then amplified those claims again during the Sept. 10 presidential debate.

RELATED: Springfield, Ohio's own John Legend: 'Nobody's eating cats and dogs'

Officials have said there have been no credible or detailed reports about the unfounded claims, even as Trump and his allies use them to push stereotypes of immigrants.

Springfield pastor talks offering help to Haitian immigrants 

Senior Pastor Dr. Carl Ruby of Central Christian Church in Springfield invited the leader of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center to join his congregation in worship, one of the many ways he and his church are trying to help immigrants. LiveNOW from FOX interviewed Ruby to discuss what is going on in Springfield. 

"We’re a small church. We are not a big church. We're not a political church. We're just a church. We have tried to encourage the Haitians. We're here. We're providing food for those who need a little bit of food assistance," Ruby said. "We have. But we printed up these cards that say, 'I'm glad you're here. Christ loves you, and so do I.' And we have been handing those out and just trying to encourage people who need some encouragement right now."

RELATED: Trump falsely claims migrants in Ohio are eating pets

Springfield has been in turmoil following the allegations made against the town’s Haitian community as Ruby addressed what is going on in the area. 

"You know, you know, it's interesting. There are two realities in Springfield. One reality is we've had 60 bomb threats in the last few days. It's total chaos and it's scary. But I had a Haitian who I handed a card to, and he walked away. And then he walked back, and he said, you know, the vast majority of people in Springfield have been very kind to us."

"And I wish that story that was being told was a great story: ‘Small Midwestern city graciously welcomes people from Haiti.’ That's what I wish the story was. I think people forget they're not coming here because they're trying to cheat our system. They're coming here because their lives are in danger in Haiti. And I think we have a moral, Christian obligation to welcome them. The key to the immigration policy, but we can't support a policy that isn't based on a lot."

Ruby talked about the experience of inviting the leader of the Haitian community Help and Support Center to worship in his church.

"He's a personal friend of mine. And, you know, part of it, this goes directly to the heart of the gospel and Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, he said that he called us to welcome strangers and to greet strangers. And the word for strangers in the New Testament is the word for the better, he said. What good is it if you only greet people who are just like you? Even pagans do that. So we've just started by just trying to greet patients and us and let them know that we love them and are glad that they're here."

FILE-A mural is displayed in an alley downtown on September 16, 2024 in Springfield, Ohio. (Photo by Luke Sharrett/Getty Images)

How did the false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield begin?

A social media post surfaced on X, formerly Twitter, on Sept. 6 that shared what looked like a screengrab of a social media post apparently out of Springfield. 

The retweeted post talked about the person’s "neighbor’s daughter’s friend" seeing a cat hanging from a tree to be butchered and eaten, claiming without evidence that Haitians lived at the house. The accompanying photo showed a Black man carrying what appeared to be a Canada goose by its feet. That post continued to get shared on social media.

RELATED: Father of Springfield, Ohio boy killed in crash says Trump, Vance using death for 'political gain'

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance posted on X. "Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?" he said. The next day, Vance posted again on X about Springfield, saying his office had received inquiries from residents who said "Haitian migrants abducted their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife. It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false."

Other Republicans shared similar posts. Among them was Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who posted a photo of kittens with a caption that said to vote for Trump "So Haitian immigrants don’t eat us."

Hours before Trump’s debate with Harris on Sept. 10, the Republican presidential candidate posted two related photos on his social media site. One Truth Social post was a photo of Trump surrounded by cats and geese. Another featured armed cats wearing MAGA hats.

The office of the Springfield city manager, Bryan Heck, issued a statement dispelling the rumors, the Associated Press noted. 

"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," Heck’s office said in an emailed statement.

Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio declined to address the allegations, deferring comment to local officials. But he repeatedly spoke in support of the people of Haiti, where his family has long operated a charity.

Springfield, a city with about 60,000 residents, has seen its Haitian population grow in recent years, but city officials estimate Springfield’s entire county has an overall immigrant population of 15,000.

The AP reported that the city also says that the Haitian immigrants are in the country legally under a federal program that allows for them to remain in the country temporarily.