Donald Trump Photo: David ‘Dee’ Delgado / Reuters
Officials in Springfield, Ohio, ordered the evacuation of several schools on Friday following false claims by Donald Trump that Haitian migrants in the city were allegedly killing and eating cats and dogs, according to AFP.
Despite local police and multiple fact-checking reports, including AFP’s, debunking the accusations, Trump reiterated the claims during a televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday. The baseless remarks have escalated tensions in the small town, home to a sizable Haitian migrant population.
During a press conference in California on Friday, Trump stuck to his rhetoric, promising “mass deportations” in Springfield, disregarding the fact that many of the migrants are legal residents.
President Joe Biden condemned Trump’s allegations, urging him to stop spreading false information. “There is no place in America for such accusations,” Biden said from the White House on Friday.
Local officials announced the evacuation of two elementary schools and the closure of a college due to threats. The Springfield City Hall had also been evacuated the day before following a bomb threat.
Federal authorities are investigating threats made against a Haitian shelter in the city, including insults and demands for migrants to “leave” Springfield, according to shelter director Viles Dorsainvil.
Despite the dubious nature of these rumors, Trump and his allies have yet to retract their statements. The former president repeated the false and racist claims during a rally in Arizona on Thursday, further stoking controversy.
