COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s campaign and his allies are amplifying false rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were kidnapping and eating pets, another example of the incendiary and anti-immigrant rhetoric Trump promoted this during his campaigns.

There is no evidence that Haitian immigrants in an Ohio community are doing so, officials say, but Trump’s campaign and Ohio vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, along with other Republicans this week, repeated the claims.

Trump’s campaign, which has criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her leadership role in President Joe Biden’s administration at the U.S.-Mexico border, issued a press release Monday, the day before Tuesday’s presidential debate, suggesting that “Kamala migrants are destroying Ohio city.” Vance, Trump’s running mate, posted Tuesday that his office has received “many inquiries” about Haitian migrants kidnapping pets.

Vance admitted Tuesday that it’s possible that “all of these rumors turn out to be false.”

Officials have said there are no reliable or detailed reports of the claims, even as Trump and his allies use them to reinforce racist stereotypes about black and brown immigrants.

While President, Trump wondered why The U.S. would accept people from so-called “s—-hole” countries like Haiti and places in Africa. His 2024 campaign has focused heavily on illegal immigration, often referring to crimes committed by migrants in his speeches. He argues that immigrants are responsible for driving up crime and drug abuse in the United States and taking resources away from American citizens.

Below you can read how the false claims spread.

How did this start?

On September 6, a post appeared on X that shared what appeared to be a screenshot of a social media post that apparently came from Springfield, Ohio. The retweet after spoke of the “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” who saw a cat hanging from a tree to be slaughtered and eaten, and claimed without evidence that Haitians lived in the house. The accompanying photo showed a black man carrying what appeared to be a Canada goose by his legs. That post continued to be shared on social media.

On Monday, Vance posted a message on X. “Reports are now showing that people are having their pets kidnapped and eaten by people who should not be in this country. Where is our border czar?” he said. The next day, Vance posted another message on X about Springfield, saying his office had received inquiries from residents who said “their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife have been kidnapped by Haitian migrants. It is of course possible that all of these rumors turn out to be untrue.”

Other Republicans shared similar messages. Among them was Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, 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 Tuesday, the former president posted two related photos on his social media site. One Truth Social post showed Trump surrounded by cats and geese. Another showed armed cats wearing MAGA hats.

What are Ohio officials saying?

The office of Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck released a statement refuting the rumors.

“In response to recent rumors of criminal activity by our city’s immigrant population, we want to make it clear that there have been no credible reports or specific allegations that pets have been abused, injured or mistreated by individuals within the immigrant community,” Heck’s office said in an emailed statement.

Springfield police on Monday told the Springfield News-Sun that no reports had been received of stolen or eaten pets.

Republican from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine held a news conference Tuesday to address the influx of Haitian immigrants to Springfield. He declined to address the allegations, leaving comment to local officials. But DeWine repeatedly expressed support for the people of Haiti, where his family has long run a charity.

What do we know about another case 281 km away?

An entirely unrelated incident that occurred last month in Canton, Ohio, was quickly – and wrongly – dragged into the discussion.

On August 26, Canton police charged a 27-year-old woman with animal cruelty and disorderly conduct after she “tortured, killed and ate a cat in a residential area in front of several people,” according to a police report.

But Allexis Ferrell is not Haitian. She was born in Ohio and graduated from McKinley High School in Canton in 2015, according to public records and newspaper reports. Court documents show she has been in and out of trouble with the law since at least 2017. Messages seeking comment were not returned by several attorneys representing her.

She is being held in Stark County Jail pending a competency hearing next month, according to prosecutors.

What do advocates for Haitian immigrants say?

According to Guerline Jozef, founder and director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a group that supports and advocates for immigrants of African descent, the messages create a false narrative and could be dangerous for Haitians in the United States.

“We are constantly confronted with all kinds of barbaric, inhuman stories and treatments, especially when it comes to immigration,” Jozef said in a telephone interview.

Her comments echoed those of White House national security spokesman John Kirby.

“There are going to be people who believe it, no matter how ridiculous and stupid it is,” Kirby said. “And they could act on that kind of information, and act in a way that could hurt someone. So it has to stop.”

What is the broader context of Haitians in Ohio and the United States?

Springfield, Ohio, a city of about 60,000, has seen a growth in its Haitian population in recent years. It’s impossible to give an exact number, according to the citybut it estimates that the entire Springfield region has an immigrant population of 15,000.

The city also says the Haitian immigrants are in the country legally under a federal program that allows them to stay in the country temporarily. Last month Biden administration gets approval for temporary legal status for approximately 300,000 Haitians already in the United States because conditions in Haiti are considered unsafe to return. The government of Haiti has extended a state of emergency to the entire country due to endemic gang violence.

Another factor that comes to mind, and which Trump addressed in an email Monday, is the August 2023 death of an 11-year-old boy who died after a vehicle driven by an immigrant from Haiti struck his school bus. Afterward, residents demanding answers about the immigrant community spoke out at City Council meetings.

___

Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey, and Shipkowski from Toms River, New Jersey.