Recently, Springfield residents slammed the local City Council for the large influx of Haitian immigrants stating that they have become the occupiers and have been replacing the native population in Springfield. Notably, Springfield, Ohio is a small city in the USA with a population of less than 60,000. However, it has been overwhelmed by roughly 20,000 Haitian immigrants in the last three to four years.
While the US media and concerned officials say that the Haitians have come to the US legally for jobs, locals have alleged corruption in allowing illegal immigration. According to them, ‘Illegal Haitians’ have been harassing them, occupying their properties, forcing them out of their houses, and eating their pets and wildlife adding that they “can’t take it anymore”.
Several videos of Springfield residents testifying before the Council meeting are doing rounds on social media. In many of these viral videos, they have stated that ‘Illegal Haitian’ immigrants have been stealing ducks, geese, and other pet animals including cats. According to them, after decapitating them, the Haitian immigrants eat these local livestock.
It is pertinent to note that while the Haitian population has been increasing rapidly in the last few years, tensions erupted last year after an immigrant driver from Haiti killed an 11-year-old boy and injured 23 others. The driver had rammed his truck into a school bus on the first day of school last August. Since this was the first city commission meeting after that incident, locals came down heavily on the City Council officials over demographic changes and a large influx of immigrants from Haiti.
During the 27th August City Commission meeting, one Springfield resident said that illegal Haitians were grabbing ducks from parks, decapitating them, and eating them. He also accused Commission members of getting paid off for allowing all this.
NEW: Springfield, Ohio man says Haitian illegals are decap*tating ducks from parks & eating them, accuses commission members of getting paid off for allowing it.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 8, 2024
“They're in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking off with 'em and eating… pic.twitter.com/uE3wI3CXl3
He said, “Who is getting paid? Like how much money is y’all really getting paid? Like to bring them over here, like I know it’s deeper than them.”
Amazing. This is real. The evidence is overwhelming. The US government sent 20,000 Haitians (one of the worst countries/cultures on Earth) to this town.
— Joe Duarte 🏜️ (@ValidScience) September 8, 2024
And they're killing people's cats and dogs and eating them, killing ducks and geese in the parks and eating them, squatting on… https://t.co/M6GhWFNy0c
"Haitians are in the park grabbing ducks, cutting the heads off, and eating them"
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 8, 2024
Springfield resident to City Council: pic.twitter.com/aZLsOT8v2b
Another resident shared a Facebook post stating that their neighbour’s cat went missing. Inside the house of their Haitian neighbour, she saw it “hanging from a branch, like you’d do a deer for butchering, & they [the Haitians] were carving it up to eat.”
Springfield is a small town in Ohio.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 6, 2024
4 years ago, they had 60k residents.
Under Harris and Biden, 20,000 Haitian immigrants were shipped to the town.
Now ducks and pets are disappearing. pic.twitter.com/OOFq3ZdTiA
While several users alleged that it could be a racist fear-mongering and targeting of the Haitian community, others claimed they have receipts to show that cats are indeed part of Haitian cuisine. Some users also shared a 16th August 2024 media report when a woman was arrested in Ohio for killing and eating a cat in a “residential area in front of multiple people.”
Haitian immigrants are eating people’s cats, and strolling down the street with Canadian geese, getting ready for supper. https://t.co/c0bNWLADu9
— Billboard Chris 🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@BillboardChris) September 7, 2024
Will you update your thread to admit that your claim was in error?https://t.co/RmMWMNfRJt
— Trevor Sutcliffe (@TrevorSutcliffe) September 8, 2024
As per reports, Allexis Ferrell (27) was arrested on 16th August 2024. She faced charges of prohibitions concerning companion animals, injuring animals, and disorderly conduct, according to jail records.
According to the criminal complaint, Ferrell killed the cat by stomping on its head and then ate it. Responding to a Police officer’s query, eyewitnesses confirmed that the accused woman was “eating it”.
Hi Cathy Young, there's actually a video of a woman getting arrested for eating a cat in Ohio.
— Lucky (@TheMagaHulk) September 7, 2024
Also, when are you booking your flight to Haiti?pic.twitter.com/Hl4EnBTxHT https://t.co/FAgbQcI65S
The video of the crime scene and her arrest also went viral. As per US media reports, when she was arrested, blood was observed on her feet, and hands, and fur was on her lips. Back then, the Police had stated that after taking the woman to Stark County jail, officers secured the “cat as evidence”.
Locals say Haitians have occupied their properties, forcing them out of their properties; replacing the native population
A resident named Glenda Bailey told the city committee, “They have become the occupiers. What they’ve done is they’ve replaced the population in Springfield.” She also warned that they would soon become the majority and kick everyone else out.
A frail woman lamented that the Haitian immigrants ‘squat’ on their lawns and had driven them out of the house in which they had been living for over 45 years. She recounted that she did all she could and made concessions with them and “tried to help” them but they “squat” on her property.
With a trembling voice, she said, “I’m done with what I’m seeing. It is so unsafe in my neighbourhood anymore.”
She added, “I have men that cannot speak English in my front yard screaming at me, throwing mattresses…throwing trash in my front yard. Look at me, I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn’t defend myself if I had to.”
Fearing for their safety, she revealed that her elderly husband had decided that they would leave their home of 45 years.
Absolutely HEARTBREAKING moment Springfield, Ohio, resident tells mayor that she "can't take it anymore" as Haitian migrants squat on her lawn, litter in her yard and harass her and elderly husband daily.
— captive dreamer (@captivedreamer7) September 7, 2024
The mayor of Springfield does NOT want people to see this: pic.twitter.com/OJtAy7LSXX
Slamming the City council officials, she asked, “I don’t know what you expect of us as citizens. I understand that they are here under temporary protective status and you are protecting them. Who’s protecting us if we’re protecting them? I want out of this town. Please give me a reason to stay.”
Earlier, in July, the City manager Bryan Heck wrote a letter to the Senate Banking Committee asking for more federal funding citing a surge in the immigrant population.
