Quick Take
Springfield, Ohio, has been the target of misinformation about its Haitian immigrant population. Conservative commentators are now falsely claiming the mayor traveled to Haiti and he and other city officials received “kick-backs” for “importing” immigrants to Springfield. The mayor told us he has never been to Haiti nor has he received any “kickbacks.”
Full Story
Former President Donald Trump has spread misinformation about immigrants and asylum seekers crossing the U.S. border over the past several years. During the Sept. 10 presidential debate, as we wrote, Trump made the baseless claim that Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio, are “eating the dogs … They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice presidential nominee, also claimed on X that there had been reports of Haitians eating people’s pets in Springfield. In addition, Vance made an unfounded claim that immigrants were responsible for an 81% increase in murders in Springfield, as we’ve written.
Springfield has experienced an influx of immigrants who legally entered the country and moved to the city over the past few years. The city estimates about 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants now live in Ohio’s Clark County, where Springfield is located. Of that group, an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 are Haitian, according to the county’s health commissioner, CNN reported.
But the political discourse has prompted accounts on social media to espouse conspiracies to explain the immigration influx.
The conservative podcast Chicks on the Right posted a screenshot from a Sept. 12 post on X by former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros. Without providing any evidence, Tantaros claimed, “The Mayor of Springfield, OH has made multiple trips to Haiti. He, and the entire City Council, received financial kick-backs for importing $20,000+ illegal aliens. Its why they ignore the pleas of residents. Nationwide, politicians are profiting from mass illegal migration.”
The Chicks on the Right Instagram post received more than 28,000 likes.
Neither Chicks on the Right nor Andrea Tantaros responded to our requests for information to support their claims.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue told us in an emailed statement: “I have never been to Haiti and I have never received financial ‘kick backs’ or even [been] involved with the transportation of immigrants into our city or even the US.”
Asked in a phone interview if he or the city of Springfield ever received any funding, grants or money related to bringing new Haitian residents to the city, Rue said: “No, absolutely not.”
Rue told us he spoke earlier this year with Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio about the need for federal funding that would allow the city to “reinforce” its infrastructure due to “a rapid increase” of its population. The mayor said the city is seeking additional support for its hospitals, school system, public safety forces, and infrastructure to accommodate the new residents, including additional translation support.
Rue said the city was not looking for a “bailout” or a per-resident fee when it asked for help. “We just need to be able to communicate with the individuals who are here and for the infrastructure,” he said.
After Springfield was thrust into the national spotlight by Trump and Vance, the city also asked Turner and other federal officials for additional funding to pay for increased security and police overtime to secure its schools, Rue told us. The false claims about the Haitian immigrants sparked a series of bomb threats that led to evacuations and the closing of city schools.
Rue said as a part-time mayor — who earns $14,680 annually — he does not have the ability to influence whether immigrants should move to the city, or even keep track of who’s coming. “No local government has that kind of control. That’s not how it works,” he said.
On its website, the city says, “No government entity is responsible for the influx of Haitians into Clark County. Once a person with Temporary Protected Status enters the country, they are free to locate wherever they choose.”
Only Congress is authorized to write laws affecting immigration, and the president has broad legal authority to control how immigration laws are enforced. Federal agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of State, and Citizenship and Immigration Services have the authority to enforce immigration laws, or permit immigrants or foreign visitors to live and work in the U.S.
Rue hasn’t received any campaign contributions since 2021, when he ran for reelection to the city commission and received 13 donations, ranging between $50 and $500 each, totaling $2,750, mostly from Springfield residents, according to his campaign filings with the Clark County Board of Elections.
Rue said as far as he’s aware, no one from the city manager’s office or the city commission – which is similar to a city council — has been to Haiti either.
Bridget Houston, a city commissioner, told us in an emailed statement responding to the social media claims: “Mayor Rue has never been to Haiti. Additionally, none of us ever have, or are currently receiving any financial kickbacks.”
“There has been no ‘importing’ immigrants as well — we are a city and cannot control our physical border and cannot control who lives or visits here. In fact, our Federal allocated dollars have gone down year over year. Most of the Haitians living in Springfield do have Federal documents as well that allow them to be here. Last, I will add that we are also required by the State of Ohio to undergo fraud training every year, and have to disclose all investments to the State of Ohio as well,” Houston said.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Facebook has no control over our editorial content.
Sources
Astor, Maggie. “Trump Doubles Down on Migrants ‘Poisoning’ the Country.” New York Times. 17 Mar 2024.
Brewster, Shaquille, Peter Shaw and Daniella Silva. “Springfield children ‘fearful’ amid dozens of bomb threats after false migrant rumors.” NBC News. 19 Sep 2024.
Catalini, Mike, Julie Carr Smyth and Bruce Shipkowski. “Trump falsely accuses immigrants in Ohio of abducting and eating pets.” Associated Press. 11 Sep 2024.
City of Springfield. “Immigration FAQs.” Accessed 30 Sep 2024.
Clark County Board of Elections. “Campaign Finance Committee Information.” Accessed: 27 Sep 2024.
Forrest, Vicky. “Springfield mayor: Investigation into businesses, immigration continues.” Springfield News Sun. 12 Jul 2024.
Houston, Bridget. City commissioner, Springfield, Ohio. Email to FactCheck.org. 30 Sep 2024.
Kiely, Eugene, et al. “FactChecking the Harris-Trump Debate.” FactCheck.org. 11 Sep 2024.
Kiely, Eugene. “Vance’s Misleading Claim About Immigrants and Murders in Springfield, Ohio.” FactCheck.org. 20 Sep 2024.
National Immigration Law Center. “The President’s Broad Legal Authority to Act on Immigration.” 20 Aug 2014.
Rue, Rob. Mayor, Springfield, Ohio. Email and phone interview with FactCheck.org. 27 Sep 2024.
Shoichet, Catherine E. “‘Why Springfield?’ How a small Ohio city became home for thousands of Haitians.” CNN. 19 Sep 2024.
Thomas, Merlyn and Mike Wendling. “Trump repeats baseless claim about Haitian immigrants eating pets.” BBC. 15 Sep 2024.