The once quiet city of Springfield, Ohio, population 60,000, is now grappling with an influx of roughly 20,000 illegal migrants from Haiti, turning the city upside down. Local officials are calling it a “significant housing crisis,” but that’s just the start of it. The real drama? Locals are now reporting some bizarre behavior, with claims that the newcomers have resorted to eating pets and wildlife. During an August 27 City Commission meeting, one resident recounted seeing Haitians “grabbing ducks in the park, cutting their heads off, and eating them.” Not exactly the kind of park picnic anyone had in mind.
Social media has only added fuel to the fire. One Facebook post from a local resident described how their neighbor’s cat went missing, only to be found hanging from a tree branch, mid-butchering, supposedly by Haitian migrants. While some have brushed this off as racist hysteria, others aren’t so quick to dismiss it. Turns out, there are actual receipts showing that in some places, cats are indeed part of Haitian cuisine. So, who’s really fear-mongering here?
Not everyone in Springfield is staying quiet about the situation. One woman told the city she’s had enough—between the littering on her yard and the harassment from migrants, it’s been a nightmare. Resident Glenda Bailey didn’t mince words either, saying, “They have become the occupiers. What they’ve done is they’ve replaced the population in Springfield.” That’s some pretty heavy language, but when your small city is overrun and your daily life is disrupted, it’s no surprise tensions are boiling over.
It’s not just about ducks and cats though. Last year, Springfield saw tragedy strike when a Haitian illegal immigrant caused a horrific school bus crash, killing 11-year-old Aiden Clark. The boy was ejected from the bus as it flipped off the road, and another 20 students were injured in the crash. With incidents like this, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t more than just a housing crisis—it’s a community crisis, with lives literally being lost.
The city is at a breaking point. In July, Springfield’s city manager Bryan Heck pleaded for more federal funding, writing to the Senate Banking Committee that the surge in the population due to immigration is making it impossible to create enough housing. But one has to wonder, how much money is going to fix this mess? More funding might help with housing, but it won’t heal the deep rift growing between locals and the newcomers.
