U.S. presidential candidate, Donald Trump has pledged to carry out mass deportations, starting with the small town of Springfield, Ohio, where baseless rumors about Haitian migrants eating pets and park animals have circulated.
Speaking on Friday, Trump claimed the town had been “destroyed” by immigration and vowed to take action if elected.
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He also pointed to another city in Colorado, where right-wing commentators have falsely alleged control by a Venezuelan gang.
Local authorities in Springfield have debunked the pet-eating claims, but the rumors have caused significant unrest.
Springfield officials reported that the false allegations have led to violent threats and forced the closure of schools.
On Friday, bomb threats targeted three schools, with at least one message making derogatory remarks about Haitians, according to Mayor Bob Rue.
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President Joe Biden condemned the spread of misinformation, urging calm and calling the criticism of Haitian migrants “simply wrong.”
He directly criticized Trump’s rhetoric, stating, “This has to stop, what he’s doing. It has to stop.”
The Republican candidate’s remarks follow a week of unsubstantiated accusations that migrants in Springfield are responsible for the killing of pets and children.
These claims, which Trump reiterated during his debate with Kamala Harris, have been refuted by Springfield’s police chief, the town’s mayor, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
