The Catholic bishops of the US state at the centre of controversy about Haitian migrants, following online rumours and then comments made by the former president, have called for people to treat the migrants with respect and dignity, and to ignore “unfounded gossip” that circulates online.
Springfield, a blue-collar city of about 50,000 people in Ohio, has become a political football of late after viral social media claims that Haitian migrants were eating people’s pets. Former President Donald Trump latched onto the rumours in his 10 September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris – as has his running mate JD Vance – to attack the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration record.
