Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) trusts Springfield officials that Haitian immigrants are not eating their pets, but he plans to send police officers and millions of dollars in aid to the city due to a migrant surge under the Biden-Harris administration.
After former President Donald Trump said During Tuesday night's presidential debate, DeWine alleged that Haitian immigrants living in a Clark County town eat dogs, cats and “the pets of the people who live there.” Responded 10WBNS reported the incident happened at an unrelated event in Springfield on Wednesday.
“We should take the mayor and the city manager at their word that they have found no credible evidence of any stories of Haitians eating pets,” the governor told reporters, adding that the state was not aware of any reports of such incidents occurring.
Trump's claim that Springfield residents Complained Individuals in the group Approximately 20,000 Breitbart News reported at a city commission meeting that new immigrants had stolen and eaten local animals.
“They're grabbing ducks by the neck in the park, cutting their heads off and taking them away and eating them,” local resident Anthony Harris said at a public forum on Aug. 27.
a Trending Posts From the Springfield Facebook group: Claimed The cat of a friend of the resident's neighbor's daughter went missing and was later found hanging from a branch outside the Haitian neighbor's house, chopped up and eaten. Springfield News-Sun Reported.
Social media users also said that the “Rangers” and police “[migrants] I “came along” with the ducks and geese at Snyder Park.
Springfield police told the outlet they were aware of the social media claims but that it was “not currently on our radar.”
DeWine said Tuesday he would not oppose the Temporary Protected Status program that President Joe Biden's administration has granted to more than 300,000 Haitian nationals who would otherwise be subject to deportation, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. said In June.
As part of the program, thousands of Haitians have been brought into Springfield, a city of about 60,000 people, 10WBNS reported.
But Governor DeWine announced he would deploy Ohio Highway Patrol troopers to deal with the influx of migrants and allocated $2.5 million over two years to “provide more basic health care through county health departments and private healthcare providers,” local media reported.
He also acknowledged the federal government should do more to help communities deal with the influx.
The CBS affiliate also reported that DeWine's family runs a Haiti-based charity in memory of his late daughter, Becky. Murdered I was in a traffic accident over 30 years ago.
Mayor Brian Heck later said in a video statement posted Wednesday that the unconfirmed reports of pets and waterfowl being eaten were “misinformation” manipulated by “political rhetoric.”
A message from Mayor Brian Heck in response to recent media reports about our community. #ForwardTogether
Contributor City of Springfield, Ohio – Government Wednesday, September 11, 2024
The mayor also described the city's recent workforce growth as “diverse and strong,” arguing that it is “supporting the expansion of local businesses and contributing to the stability of our local economy.”
