The small town of Springfield, Ohio is home to approximately 58,000 residents, some of which have become victims of threats and false accusations.

Rumors of pet eating and animal sacrifice along with reported strange occurrences continue to feed public speculation.

Allexis Telia Ferrell, a resident of Canton, Ohio, was reported to have killed and eaten a cat in her home city, about 200 miles away from Springfield.

Ferell was arrested on Sept. 6 and charged with animal cruelty after witnesses say “she stomped on a cat’s head before eating it in front of residents,” according to The Times of India.

Though Ferell is neither Haitian or a migrant, footage surrounding the case has garnered widespread attention after former President Donald Trump amplified false rumors, linking Ferrell’s actions to Haitian immigrants in Springfield.

Social media has since become a tool used to fuel such rumors. AI-generated images and memes have appeared online following the presidential debate that took place on Sept. 10.

Sen. Ted Cruz took to X to post a meme of two kittens embracing with a text that read, “Please vote for Trump so Haitian immigrants don’t eat us.”

Sen. JD Vance posted a video in which he discussed migration in Ohio. “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country,” Vance said in a hearing.

Rumors have also circulated around a user’s private Facebook post stating that Haitian residents had stolen her friend’s cat and were carving it to eat.

Springfield has experienced an influx of Haitian migrants, with over 15,000 flocking to the city within the past five years.

The change in population comes from word-of-mouth about opportunity, and migrants’ passion to work in the warehouse, manufacturing and service sectors.

Following these developments, a series of unidentified overseas bomb threats have led to local school evacuations and closures in Springfield, as well as increased dispatch of Ohio State Highway Patrol.

“The vast majority of the bomb threats came from foreign countries. Not 100%, but it’s the vast majority,” Dan Tierney, the spokesperson for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, told PBS News.

There have been a total of 30 hoax threats targeting schools, government buildings and elected officials since the presidential debate in which Trump claimed, “They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and it’s a shame.”

Though the federal government and city officials have repeatedly denied the validity of such claims, these had already “significantly impacted the community, creating unnecessary fear, division and financial strain and disrupted schools,” according to PBS.

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and other local leaders have continued to call on support from the federal government to satisfy basic needs such as healthcare and housing— as they look to protect and serve underprivileged residents of Springfield, along with its new demographic.

In 2023, President Joe Biden highlighted that Haitians would be part of a group of nationalities that would gain legal access into the U.S. by way of employment to reduce pressures at the border.

The Humanitarian Parole program — which is the legal action implemented by Biden— has allowed more than 210,000 Haitian migrants to enter the U.S.

Since its implementation, different companies that have struggled to fill job openings have seen a revival throughout the country.

“What the companies tell us is that they are very good workers. They’re very happy to have them there, and frankly, that’s helped the economy,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told ABC in a statement.

Despite this, Springfield’s lack of infrastructure and teaching and interpretation programs has burdened local leaders in the continued effort to serve the Ohio community and its new residents.

“The city appreciates any help it can get to fund common needs like interpretation and translation services,” Rue said.

Following the increased public attention that Springfield has gained over the past few weeks, NAACP Springfield President Denise Williams made a public statement, “I’m calling on Trump, I’m calling on JD Vance to retract their messages, to offer an apology to the city of Springfield, Ohio. We’re already on edge, but the comments from our government have made it worse.”