Videos of numerous Springfield, Ohio, residents testifying during a town meeting that “homeless” Haitian immigrants were squatting, “screaming” at homeowners, and killing animals for food went viral on social media this week.

Springfield, Ohio woman says homeless Haitians are trying to camp out on her front yard, says she “wants out of this town.”

“I have men that cannot speak English in my front yard, screaming at me, throwing mattresses in my front yard.”

“Look at me, I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn’t… pic.twitter.com/eShzG8grC1

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 9, 2024

Vance, who is Trump’s running mate, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), and Donald Trump Jr. were among the Republicans who used the Springfield residents’ anger as fodder to attack Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” Vance wrote in a post to X.

Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio.

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? pic.twitter.com/rf0EDIeI5i

— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 9, 2024

“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?” Vance asked. 

Vance’s office said the Ohio senator is concerned about the reports in his home state because he had “received a high volume of calls and emails over the past several weeks from concerned citizens in Springfield: His tweet is based on what he is hearing from them,” according to comments to the Hill.

Hunt, who has represented Texas’s 38th Congressional District since 2023, also jumped into the fray. 

“We cannot allow our pets to become a hot lunch for Kamala’s newcomers,” he declared in a post to X. “This November, you can do your part,” he continued. “Protect the Animals. Vote Trump.”  

The Springfield Police Division on Sunday said it had not received complaints about animals being eaten, according to the Springfield News-Sun. 

Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck also said reports that Haitian immigrants are abusing animals were untrue. He rejected concerns migrants were “causing chaos” in his city.

“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 told the Hill. “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.” 

Heck’s words came after he sent a letter to the Senate Banking Committee in July, worrying that Springfield’s surging Haitian population had put a “significant strain” on his city.

“Springfield’s Haitian population has increased to 15,000 — 20,000 over the last four years in a community of just under 60,000 previous residents, putting a significant strain on our resources and ability to provide ample housing for all of our residents,” his letter read. 

The Biden administration announced it would shield approximately 309,000 Haitian immigrants in the United States illegally from deportation in June. The announcement came as the Caribbean island grapples with gang violence, with a young American missionary couple among those murdered in the country earlier this year. 

In the midst of the controversy over Haitian residents in Ohio, Donald Trump’s eldest son blasted his father’s chief opponent for “destroying Springfield.” 

“Less than three months ago, Kamala Harris and her Administration blocked 300k unvetted Haitian Migrants from being deported out of our country,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote in a post to X. “Today, those unvetted migrants are sucking up precious resources and destroying Springfield, Ohio. Kamala Harris did this.”

At the Aug. 27 Springfield City Commission meeting, residents said the surge of Haitians had overwhelmed the city’s Clark County Department of Job and Family Services, or JFS. 

One woman complained that “we can’t get through the doors of JFS to do anything. We can’t get through it. The line is just too long. We have brought too many people to come in here and be able to apply for free stuff, and here we are, working, paying those taxes every week for what? What? So we can’t get through the doors of Social Security so I can file for retirement?”

Local resident Anthony Harris alleged Haitian immigrants were “flipping cars in the middle of the street,” while another Springfield woman told the audience she had “men that cannot speak English in my front yard, screaming at me, throwing mattresses in my front yard.” 

“Look at me, I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn’t defend myself if I had to. My husband is elderly,” she added. 

Other Springfield leaders claimed concerns over Haitians overwhelming the town were fueled by “white supremacist and antidemocratic movements.” 

“White supremacist and antidemocratic movements have always used the claim that so-called black savages are coming to destroy, especially when political power is up for grabs,” said Erik Crew, a staff attorney at the Haitian Bridge Alliance and a Cincinnati native with a Springfield background. “This is no different. This time, they are saying it is Haitians, and this time, it is being used to try to score political points around immigration as well.”