Springfield, Ohio residents continue to face threats after pet food scam

Residents of Springfield, Ohio, have faced threats to their community for weeks after former President Donald Trump raised unsubstantiated allegations during a presidential debate two weeks ago that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating their pets.

City officials estimate that at least 15,000 Haitian immigrants have moved into the area, straining resources.

Springfield NAACP President Denise Williams said she was among those receiving threats.

“We’re in a scary situation here and I don’t need to be scared. But honestly, sometimes I get a little nervous, but it makes me stronger. My team and I are here to speak out against any natural threat that comes to our community,” he told Scripps News.

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Mayor Rob Rue said Tuesday that the ongoing threats are straining city resources.

“This is certainly a costly endeavor for our community, given the increased security measures that we have had to experience and even the additional communities that have come out to support us along with the state of Ohio,” Rue said.

The Ohio State sources include members of the Ohio Highway Patrol, who were protecting area schools after they were closed due to numerous threats in the days following the controversy.

Williams said hate groups were “emboldened.”

“They’re not afraid to say what they have to say, and that’s unfortunate,” he said. “It’s a nightmare. The community is restless. The Haitian community is scared. They don’t want to come out.”

Jacob Payen of the Haiti Community Alliance said the community was not upset but “we think it’s a huge misunderstanding.”

“We’re trying to use this as an opportunity as a community,” Payen said. “I would say we’re scared right now. We’re scared because some of us want to go to the grocery store now. Some of us don’t even want to send our kids because there have been several bomb threats reported over the past week.”