Rumours that migrants eat cats and dogs started with a Facebook post: its author explained why she wrote it

Erica Lee is from Springfield, Ohio, and she was the one who originally made the Facebook post claiming that Local Haitian immigrants "eat domestic animals". Now the woman has admitted that she has no direct evidence to support the accusation. However, her post has thrust the small town into the public spotlight, and Donald Trump has used the accusation of immigrants eating pets during the presidential debates, writes Newsweek.

Photo: Harperdrewart | Dreamstime.com

Immigration has become a hot topic during the 2024 presidential election. Springfield city officials have repeatedly denied the wild rumors, but they gained worldwide notoriety after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump aired them during the televised presidential debate on September 10.

"In Springfield, they eat dogs — the people who came," Trump said of Haitian immigrants. "They eat cats. They eat the pets of the people who live there, and that's what's happening in our country, and it's a disgrace."

On the subject: Truth and Lies of the Presidential Debates: Fact-Checking Trump and Harris' Claims

While Springfield officials and community leaders tried to deny the claims, tensions rose and bomb threats were made on September 12-13, leading to the closure of schools and municipal buildings.

“It turned into something I didn’t want,” Lee said Sept. 13. The incident left her feeling guilty and anxious. In an old post, she detailed the disappearance of a neighbor’s cat and her neighbor’s suspicions that Haitian immigrants were involved.

According to NewsGuard, an organization dedicated to combating online misinformation, Lee was one of the first to spread the baseless rumor on social media. Screenshots of her post were shared on social media. The neighbor, identified as Kimberly Newton, learned of the alleged incident from a third party. Lee told NBC News that she never imagined her post would become part of a national conversation and spread conspiracy theories and hate.

“I’m not a racist,” she said, noting that her daughter is half black and she is mixed race and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “It seems to be turning everything on its head. That was definitely not my intention.”

After half a century of economic decline, Springfield worked hard to revive its manufacturing industry. The plan worked, bringing jobs to the city and ultimately attracting immigrants. Between 2020 and 60 Haitian migrants have moved to the city, which had a population of just under 000 in 15, in four years, city officials say.

They are in the country legally, according to a Springfield immigration FAQ page. Many are under an immigrant program that, under certain conditions, allows noncitizens to temporarily stay in the U.S. without meeting standard visa or immigration requirements.

Lee acknowledged that Springfield faces challenges caused by a population explosion. She noted that the city is unprepared to address the housing, health care and other service needs caused by the rapid influx of Haitian immigrants over the past five years. But she didn’t anticipate that her Facebook post would cause a national news storm.

"I didn't think it would ever go beyond Springfield," she admitted.

Lee said that concerns for her child's safety prompted her to pull her daughter out of school because the scrutiny of her family made her anxious. She also admitted that she was concerned for the Haitian community, which she never intended to demonize.

"I feel very sorry for the Haitian community," she said. "If I were in the Haitian community, I would be terrified, worried that someone would come after me because they would think I was hurting their beloved creatures. I certainly didn't want that."

Rumor mongers on social media have shared a video of a woman arrested for allegedly killing and eating a cat. Although the video was from Ohio, it was filmed in Canton, which is more than 170 miles from Springfield. The woman, Alexis Ferrell, was, by the way, a U.S. citizen, not an immigrant.

Ferrell remains in jail on $100 bail. Local law enforcement says she was first arrested in 000 and has been known to authorities ever since. She was charged again in 2011.

Meanwhile, Trump's running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, argues that Haitian migrants' status remains illegal because they were allegedly legalized "through abuse of asylum laws."

But in an interview with NewsNation on Sept. 12, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said, "Under current federal policy, they're here legally, and there's nothing that would immediately remove them. So as a community, we're trying to embrace them. There may be some challenges with the culture clash."

Trump has been promising mass deportations on the campaign trail for months, promising to deploy the military and local law enforcement to remove millions of illegal immigrants.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

On September 13, after rumors that Haitian immigrants were eating pets were debunked, the 45th president promised that his mass deportation plan would begin in Springfield and Aurora, Colorado, two cities at the center of anti-immigration controversy this week:

"We are going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country. And we are going to start with Springfield and Aurora."

"People of Colorado... you have a very weak governor there, he doesn't know what to do," Trump said.

In Aurora, housing projects have been plagued by problems caused by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Members of this notorious group have moved in and caused problems for Venezuelan migrants and other residents of the city. (Tren de Aragua is one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal organizations in Venezuela. It began as a group initially created within the Venezuelan prison system, but over time its activities have expanded beyond the prisons and throughout the country and beyond. The gang's name translates as "Aragua Train," which refers to its origins in the state of Aragua.

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